


Persona 5 Royal: Paradox

by DarkRoseChan



Series: Emiko Hayashi [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cafe Leblanc (Persona 5), Canon - Video Game, F/M, First Love, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Mementos (Persona 5), Metaverse (Persona 5), Mystery, Persona 5 Spoilers, Spoilers, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 106,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23400913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkRoseChan/pseuds/DarkRoseChan
Summary: Ren Amamiya, a prisoner of fate, found himself in a once-in-a-lifetime case after moving from his hometown to Tokyo after being found guilty for trying to save a person in need. Condemned for a crime he didn't commit, thrown behind bars, hurt by his own parents, expelled from his school, and bullied by his classmates.In a whim of fate, he met Emiko Hayashi; a girl with an untold secret that was locked away within the depths of her soul. Nagisa Konno; a shy and timid boy who vowed to protect his little sister from the ugliness of the world by any price he had to pay. Kasumi Yoshizawa; the mysterious and beautiful rhythmic gymnast who moved to Shujin under a scholarship, dreaming to reach the world championship to honor her late twin.In his new home, Ren founded the Phantom Thieves of Hearts who took the task of changing society and give courage to the weak. Living an ordinary high school life in Tokyo by day, the group maneuvered the metropolitan city by night, guiding the world away from ruin. However, through his journey, Ren faced the most difficult choice... shall he refuse, he shall sacrifice the happiness of others.Even if it meant living in a beautiful lie?
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Niijima Makoto, Amamiya Ren (Persona Series)/Original Female Character(s), Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakura Futaba, Sakamoto Ryuji/Takamaki Ann, Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Emiko Hayashi [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683349
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Character Info #1

_(P5_ )

_(Flare)_

_(P5 Manga)_

_(P5 Anime)_

_(Live Action)_

__

_(Flare Live Action)_

_(P5R)_

_(P5S)_

_(P5D)_

_(PQ2)_

_(Flare PQ2)_

*******

**N** **ame:** Emiko Hayashi

**Also known as:** Mikki (by Ryuji)  
Flare (Code Name)  
Miss show-off (by Morgana)  
Inmate (by Caroline and Justine)  
Titania (by Igor)  
The bitch who's always angry (by Shadow Okumura)

**Japanese Name:** 林 恵美子  
ミッキ  
フレア  
ミスショーオフ  
囚人  
妖精女王

**Romaji:** _Hayashi Emiko_  
_Mikki_  
_Furea_  
_Shujin_  
_Titānia_

**First Appearance:** _Persona 5_

**Affiliation:** Phantom Thieves of Hearts

**School:** Shujin Academy

**Date of Birth:** April 30  
c.1999

**Age:** 16-17 ( _P5_ )  
17 ( _P5S_ )

**Zodiac:** Taurus

**Height:** 170 cm (5'7")

**Cell Phone Color:** Pale Blue

**Blood Type:** O

**Melee Weapon:** Long Sword

**Ranged Weapon:** Sniper, Two-Handed Rifles

**Arcana:** The Hope

**Initial** **Persona:** Valkyrie

**Ultimate Persona:** Brynhildr

**Ultimate Persona (P5R):** Eir

**Theme:** "Break In To Break Out"  
"IT'S TOO LATE"

**Japanese VA:** Aya Hirano

**English VA:** Caitlin Glass

**Portrayed By:** Kiko Mizuhara (Stage Play)

*******

_"_ _Good and evil exist in this world and we don't have the right to mess with this balance. Not me, not you... and definitely not you._ _"_

-Emiko Hayashi, _Persona 5_

**Emiko Hayashi** is a playable character from _Persona 5_. She is a student at Shujin Academy who lives a double life as a Phantom Thief. And the childhood friend of Ryuji Sakamoto.

**_Appearances_ **

• _Persona 5/Royal:_ Playable Character; Hope Confidant

⚬ _Persona 5 (Manga):_ Major Character

⚬ _Persona 5: Mementos Mission:_ Major Character

⚬ _Persona 5 The Animation The Day Breakers:_ Major Character

⚬ _Persona 5 The Animation:_ Major Character

◼ _Persona O.A.:_ Major Character

⚬ _Persona 5 The Stage_

• _Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight:_ Playable Character

• _Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight:_ DLC Partner

• _Persona 5 Strikers:_ Playable Character

• _Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth:_ Playable Character

⚬ _Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth Roundabout Special:_ Main Character

**_Design_ **

Emiko is a tall girl who has thin hair tied in small ribbons by the sides of her face, with the back cut short. She has dark brown hair and also wears a pair of half-rimmed glasses with oval-shaped lenses. Her skin is pale and she has black eyes. She wears the default female Shujin uniform without any changes in it and is the only main female character to wear the uniform without any modifications. Her winter uniform consists of a creamy turtleneck t-shirt along with a black blazer, black and red pleated plaid skirt, black pantyhose, and black ankle boots.

In summer, Emiko wears the default Shujin summer uniform which consists of the creamy-colored short-sleeved shirt along with the black and red pleated plaid skirt, white ankle socks, and black shoes.

As a Phantom Thief, Emiko wears a big white masquerade mask along with a desert-colored military jacket, bulletproof armor of the same color, and combat boots, as well as a white muffler around her neck. Unlike her real appearance, her hair becomes pale blue that is casually short, with a tuft of hair tied up on both sides of her forehead, and her eyes become indigo-colored.

Emiko's winter attire consists of a dark beige sweater worn under a jeans jacket with its sleeves slightly rolled up, long jeans skirt that reaches her knees, black leggings, white-and-blue shoes, and her iconic dark brown scarf wrapped around her neck.

During summer, she wears a short half-sleeved white t-shirt with bright green bonds on the shoulder, silver necklace with a round pendant, jeans skirt, and orange-and-yellow sneakers.

In _Royal's_ third semester, on her days off she wears a beige sweater beneath an olive green-colored overcoat, black pants, a thick beige scarf that matches her sweater, knee-length brown boots, and brown earmuffs. On school days, her uniform is slightly modified, wearing a dark grey overcoat, and beige gloves.

In _Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight_ , Emiko's attire is different from her other friends who modified their school uniforms.  
She wears a middle ages-themed top along with a purplish blue bolero, black skirt, dark leggings, and matching purplish blue and white shoes.

In _Persona 5_ _Strikers_ , her outfit consists of a beige long-sleeved jacket worn on top a green dress that reaches above her knees, and light blue shoes with white laces. While at the festivals, she wears a yellow yukata with flowers on it, a dark blue sash, and a white line in the middle.

**_Personality_**

_"_ _Thank you... for choosing to believe in someone like me._ _"_

_-_ Emiko Hayashi to Ren Amamiya

Emiko is a stoic and mysterious girl who tends to hide her feelings and has a calm demeanor as she tends to be completely unfazed by most of the events that occur. In the beginning, she seemed a lot like a cool and calm girl who doesn't talk or interact much with people as she's seen always sitting alone whether in class, courtyard, or the volleyball rally. However, she has a violent temper once angered, best seen with her interactions with Ren as she becomes hostile, aggressive, and rude to him, and yet she claims that he's the first person to make her extremely angry. She's known for giving off an intimidating vibe whether from her body language or her sharp gazes that scares off other people as seen when she looked at Ann deadly and scared her on her way to school when she and Ren were stuck under the rain on his first day. It's thought that Emiko is indifferent to other people's emotions due to her harsh demeanor and rude way of speaking with them such as when she called her childhood friend Ryuji by his last name, signaling her cutting all of her ties with him and not considering his emotions in the process. And also when she verbally abused Ren by using the rumors regarding him and saying "Or what? You're going to assault me?" 

Beyond her stone-hard exterior lies a genuinely kind heart as seen when Ren witnessed Emiko embracing Mayu when she apologized to her after Kamoshida's confession and when she showed little worry at Ren's injury after Kamoahida's spike during volleyball practice. Ren even thought of her as "someone so cruel but also so kind." In reality, Emiko is a lonely and fragile-minded individual due to her harsh childhood and upbringing along with the incident she experienced as a child that caused her a huge trauma to stick with her, causing her to suffer from PTSD. When reminded of it, she'd be on the verge of collapsing and hyperventilating, almost completely breaking apart as seen in the battle against Kamoshida. She cannot easily forgive those who hurt her and it's shown that she holds a grudge against them. She acts harsh and rude in order to push away people from her life so they wouldn't get hurt from her and see her true self, especially Ryuji and Ann which made her cut all of her ties with them after the incident that happened with her. She's not as emotionless as claimed to be since she apologized to Ren for her harsh treatment of him, saying that she did what she did because he reminded her of everything wrong about her.

Emiko has many insecurities regarding herself, starting with her own appearance for reminding her so much of the person who was responsible for her trauma in the first place. She doesn't like the way she looks and wishes if she had a sexier body and a bigger breast and even showed clear signs of jealousy when Yusuke wanted Ann to be his model and kept complimenting her looks. Despite that, she's very passionate about the things she loves, especially her guitar and the songs she writes; she claims that music is her best friend and the bond she shares with it is indescribable since it was the only thing that kept her sane during her times of misery. She has her own soft and sweet side that she doesn't like to show to others because she doesn't want to feel vulnerable and exposed to them. It's revealed that Emiko isn't used to kind and gentle touches due to her living under a hellish domestic environment for many years, as she visibly flinches and shows signs of fear when Ren tried touching her before. She's a believer in God and goes to the church every Sunday, yet she believes she's far from salvation because of the sin she committed and is convinced that the tragedy that fell upon her was all her fault. She's unable to cut free from her past and still clings to it, bringing her more misery and depression, showing that she's, in fact, quite a cowardly character.

According to Ryuji and Ann, before the hideous incident that happened with Emiko, she was a completely different person before turning herself into an introverted person. She used to be very energetic, on-going, and friendly and even mischievous, going as far as pulling pranks on the members of the track team along with Ryuji, being his "partner in crime." After joining the Phantom Thieves and opening up to them, Emiko shows more of her old self such as her own childish and silly tendencies albeit she still has her aloof and harsh side. Emiko is also somewhat proud and will not hesitate to get physical with those that challenge, make fun of her, or keep annoying her, mostly Ryuji and Morgana whose heads got smacked by her on multiple occasions. During missions and Palace explorations, it's clear that Emiko cannot abandon another in trouble and takes the battles very seriously and is determined to clear them by whatever means necessary even if she had to take matters into her own hands. In the Metaverse, she becomes more confident with a more fearsome aura, even scaring Joker a bit from her and is seen to enjoy fighting and defeating Shadows and even chose the code name "Flare" to herself due to her confidence in her skills, coming off as cocky and show-off. Thus, earning her nickname "Miss show-off" from Morgana.

_**Profile** _

_"_ _If you think you know me, then you better reconsider._ _"_

-Emiko Hayashi, _Persona 5_

**тнιѕ ωση'т вє мєηтισηє∂ тσ ανσι∂ ѕρσιℓєяѕ!!!**

  
**_Etymology_ **

Emiko has a lot of different meanings according to the writing in Kanji. But the kanji in her name "恵美子" means "blessing," "favor," "beauty," and "child." Her surname Hayashi literally means "woods."

_**Trivia** _

  * The name Titania which Igor calls Emiko with means "Queen of the Fairies."


  * Her Arcana "The Hope" is like the Aeon and Faith Arcana, the Hope is not found in standard tarot decks. The Hope Arcana is present in the Visconti-Sforza tarot deck. It focuses on the qualities of hope, faith, healing, aspirations, success, and finally, enlightenment.


  * Emiko Hayashi is also the name of a Japanese film producer, although the similarity between the names was unintentional.


  * The original design of Emiko is Shino Asada from _Sword Art Online II_.


  * Her design as a Phantom Thief is originally Sinon from _Sword Art Online II_.


  * Emiko is the only main female character who wears Shujin Uniform without any modifications.


  * It's said that Emiko speaks English and enjoys the old English literature. However, she's not as good as Ann.


  * The official twitter account for the Persona series posted a "Happy Birthday" message for Emiko on April 30, 2017, JST.


  * Her most favorite author of all time is Agatha Christie.


  * Emiko said several times that she wishes to go to the USA.


  * Emiko's nickname "Mikki" was originally given to her by Ryuji when they were kids which means in Japanese "Mickey." He said that he gave her that nickname because her voice reminded him of the famous Disney cartoon character _Mickey Mouse_.


  * Emiko's favorite food is anything that has chocolate as the main ingredient.


  * Her Initial Persona "Valkyrie" and Ultimate Persona "Brynhildr" are both fictional creatures from Norse mythology. These two Personas were heavily influenced by her love for old literature.


  * Eir is the third-tier Persona of Emiko Hayashi in Persona 5 Royal. She's best known for being a goddess or a valkyrie in Norse mythology.


  * Emiko is seen to be taller than most of the girls in Persona 5. She's 170 cm.


  * Emiko is an otaku who adores watching anime, reading manga, playing anime video games, and making references.


  * Her Japanese VA Aya Hirano is known for her roles as Lucy Heartfilia from _Fairy Tail_ , Monaca Towa from _Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls_ , Imai Nobume from _Gintama_ , Haruhi Suzumiya from _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ , and many more.


  * Her English VA Caitlin Glass is known for her roles as Hannah Annafellows from _Black Butler II_ , Hinata Hino from _Future Diary_ , Petra Ral from _Attack on Titan_ , Kyoko Kirigiri from _Danganronpa the Animation_ , Hiromi Shiota from _Assassination Classroom_ , and many more.




	2. Character Info #2

_(Normal)_

_(Hawks)_

*******

**N** **ame:** Nagisa Konno

**Also known as:** Hawks (Code Name)  
Plain-Looking Student  
Nagi (by Futaba)  
The crybaby in the green suit (by Shadow Okumura)

**Japanese Name:** 紺野 渚  
ホークス

**Romaji:** _Konno Nagisa_  
_Hōkusu_

**First Appearance:** _Persona 5_ _Royal_

**Affiliation:** Phantom Thieves of Hearts

**School:** Shujin Academy

**Date of Birth:** July 15  
c.2001

**Age:** 15

**Zodiac:** Cancer

**Height:** 166 cm (5'5¼")

**Blood Type:** O

**Melee Weapon:** Iron-Soled Boots

**Ranged Weapon:** Musket

**Arcana:** The Hanged Man

**Initial** **Persona:** Attis

**Ultimate Persona:** Moloch

**Ultimate Persona (P5R):** Azazel

**Japanese VA:** Daiki Yamashita

**English VA:** Justin Briner

*******

_"_ _Thieves can be heroes too, right? For that, I'll always smile like the hero I want to be._ _"_

-Nagisa Konno, _Persona 5_

**N** **agisa Konno** is a playable character from _Persona 5_ _Royal_. He is a student at Shujin Academy who lives a double life as a Phantom Thief.

**_Appearances_ **

• _Persona 5 Royal:_ Playable Character; Hanged Man Confidant

**_Design_ **

Nagisa is somewhat short for his age, his round face framed by a short mess of fluffy dark-green hair which sticks up at odd angles around his head, casting noticeably dark shadows onto itself. His eyes are large and somewhat circular, their irises the same green color as his hair, which at times are very watery, usually stretched quite wide, giving him an innocent appearance. He has a set of four symmetrical freckles in diamond formations, one on each cheek, but despite these prominent traits, he is often described by others as being plain-looking. 

He wears the default Shujin winter uniform that consists of a red-buttoned black blazer with the school's emblem on the pocket, a white turtleneck shirt with chevron detailing on the collar and red plaid trousers. Instead of the plain black shoes worn by the majority of the student body, he usually wears oversized red boots with thick white soles, laced up to the top. During the summer, he wears the school regulation polo shirt, albeit untucked and sans the suspenders.

His winter casual outfit consists of a plaid white shirt beneath a light green jacket, associated with dark jeans and his casual red boots.

His summer casual outfit consists of a plain half-sleeved black t-shirt along with jeans shorts and his usual oversized red boots.

In the third semester, on his days off he wears a white v-neck sweater beneath a dark green coat, dark jeans, grey gloves, dark green boots, and a grey hat. On school days, his uniform is slightly modified, wearing a blue trench coat, black gloves, and a white scarf.

In the Metaverse, "Hawks" wears a green full-body jumpsuit with a red belt, arm braces, elbow pads, knee pads that extends to his legs and reach up to his thighs that have yellow bolts fastened into them, and gloves tinted beige and are decorated with blue stripes, along with his signature red boots that has iron soles in them now. He also wears a mask with long ear-like protrusions, and a metal, diamond-shaped respirator that has eight holes.

**_P_** **_ersonalit_ ** _**y** _

_"_ _I think I understand where you're coming from, Senpai..._ _parental love isn't exactly something I grew up with either._ _"_

_-_ Nagisa Konno to Haru Okumura

Nagisa is a very timid, reserved, and polite boy, frequently overreacting to abnormal situations with exaggerated expressions. Due to years of being neglected by his parents and raising his younger sister on his own, he is initially portrayed as insecure, tearful, and non-expressive. However, after joining the Phantom Thieves, making new friends, and facing his parents, Nagisa gradually matured into a more confident and brave person who's always eager to prove his worth, eventually developing strong leadership skills, which, combined with his passion and strategic abilities, have turned him into a central figure within the Phantom Thieves. Nagisa is a quite diligent and strong-willed student, being extremely, and sometimes scarily, enthusiastic about topics he likes and that drives him to write down notes about everything he learns. Thanks to this practice, he developed a great analytical mind and can form complex battle plans in a few seconds, factoring the best ways he can utilize his powers for his own advantage.

He externalizes his observations through endless mumbling, a habit that annoys or creeps out his peers. Nagisa often writes down those observations in a variety of notebooks, checking on them regularly during day or night. He's caring and emotional, never hesitating to help or rescue someone in danger, even if he knows that he might not be strong or qualified enough to do it. Often, he does this on instinct, taking a more careless approach than the usual overthinking he goes through and putting himself on peril in order to protect someone. He is known to help or lecture people with personal and emotional problems, regardless if it's his business or not, claiming that a hero should meddle in other people's lives. This audacious spirit, while initially viewed as perplexing or even insane by others, is also recognized by many, has earned the loyalty and gratitude of his teammates. Nagisa also appears to have a more brash and abrasive side to him, which typically shows up when he finds himself in combat, being rather loud and unwavering, and also with a strong drive towards victory. He has admitted that he doesn't like this side of him very much and tends to keep it in check.

_**Profile** _

_"_ _I_ 've _always been running away for as long as I can remember, but not anymore! I want to be the big brother Izumi looks up to!"_

-Nagisa Konno, _Persona 5_

**тнιѕ ωση'т вє мєηтισηє∂ тσ ανσι∂ ѕρσιℓєяѕ!!!**

**_Etymology_ **

Nagisa has many different meanings according to the writing in Kanji. But the kanji in his name "渚" means "beach" or "shore." His surname Konno could mean "now," "near," or "field."

**_Trivia_ **

• Nagisa's favorite food is Katsudon.

• He was deliberately designed to look plain.

• Nagisa is the second first-year Phantom Thief created by [DarkRose--Chan](https://www.wattpad.com/user/DarkRose--Chan) after Touka Ayasato. He's also her second male original character after Haruto Nakashima from _Persona 4_.

• Nagisa's original face claim is Izuku Midoriya from _M_ _y Hero Academia_.

• His phantom thief code name came from Keigo Takami, or "Hawks" as his Hero Name, also from _My Hero Academia._ This was meant to be a cute little Easter egg from Nagisa's face claim's origin.

• According to Futaba, Nagisa could attract many girls to him had he not been so damn shy and awkward around them.

• During junior high, Nagisa used to be a member of the baseball team.

• All of his Personas belong to the Hanged Man Arcana from the _Megami Tensei_ series.

• By far, Nagisa is the shortest boy ever to exist among the Phantom Thieves.

• Some suspect that he has a crush on Emiko Hayashi, but that's still not confirmed yet.

• His Japanese VA Daiki Yamashita is known for his roles as Rikuto Ikeda from _Assassination Classroom 2_ , Nauto from _A_ _o Haru Ride_ , Moe Suzuki from _P_ _sycho-Pass 2_ , Jun from _S_ _word Art Online II_ , Magire Kakuremino from _Boruto: Naruto Next Generation_ s, Yushiro from _Demon Slayer_ , young Zeke Jaeger from _Attack on Titan_ , and many more.

• His English VA Justin Briner is known for his roles as young Grisha Jaeger from _A_ _ttack on Titan_ , Luck Voltia from _B_ _lack Clover_ , Ryota Mitarai from _Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School_ , Palms from _O_ _ne Piece_ , Shuka from _Snow White with the Red Hair_ , and many more.


	3. Character Info #3

_(Normal)_

*******

**N** **ame:** Izumi Konno

**Also known as:** Shy-looking Girl

**Japanese Name:** 紺野 泉美

**Romaji:** _Konno Izumi_

**First Appearance:** _Persona 5_ _Royal_

**Affiliation:** Phantom Thieves of Hearts

**School:** Unknown elementary school

**Date of Birth:** December 21  
c.2009

**Age:** 7

**Zodiac:** Sagittarius

**Height:** 110 cm (3'7")

**Blood Type:** AB

**Arcana:** Temperance

**Japanese VA:** Seiran Kobayashi

**English VA:** Emily Neves

*******

_"You're my brother's friends, right? He always speaks about you guys... n-nice to meet you all."_

-Izumi Konno, _Persona 5_

**Izumi** **Konno** is a character from _Persona 5_ _Royal_. She is the younger sister of Nagisa Konno.

**_Appearances_ **

• _Persona 5_ _Royal_ : Supporting Character; Temperance Confidant

**_Design_**

Izumi is a small girl with bluish, off-white hair, straight and combed, which is parted in the middle of her forehead, almost reaching down to her waist. She has very wide, innocent-looking eyes, which are bright red in color. She wears her school's winter uniform that consists of a white shirt worn beneath a blue blazer with a pink bow on top, a navy-blue skirt, white leggings, and red Mary Jane shoes. Her summer school uniform consists of a short-sleeved shirt with the pink bow on top and white socks instead of the leggings.

Her winter casual outfit consists of a white dress shirt with a frilled collar and a plain red pinafore with two large, golden buttons on either side of her chest. Under this, she wears gray tights and a large set of tan boots, and a small dark red messenger bag with the trap sitting over her right shoulder, a little floral pattern decorating one of its sides. Her summer casual outfit consists of a green sundress with a white bow in the front and white sandals.

In the third semester on her days off, Izumi wears a yellow sweater beneath a brown overcoat, plaid green skirt, black leggings, tan boots, bunny-shaped earmuffs, and a pair of yellow gloves with cat faces on them. On school days, her uniform is slightly modified, wearing a dark purple coat, pink hat, and matching gloves and scarf.

**_Personality_**

_"_ _U-Um, big sis Ann? How do you look so pretty? I-I want cute clothes like you too.._. _"_

_-_ Izumi Konno to Ann Takamki

Izumi is a shy and timid young girl much like her brother Nagisa who longs for parental love because she was neglected by them, but she was given all the love and affection in the world by Nagisa despite them being half-siblings. He treated her with a lot of care of love as if she was one of his own and were true siblings. She can feel awkward and uncomfortable around strangers as seen when she hid behind Nagisa when she first met Ren and his friends, but she's seemingly comfortable around those she knows. She's also very kind and has a kind heart to the people she loves and trusts, thus she was able to earn Ren and the others' friendship rather quickly, Ann and Haru especially. 

Izumi is a huge fan of the Phantom Thieves to the point of secretly saving up money to buy some of their merch, expressing her desire to be like them when she grows up. She's very obedient to Nagisa and would never do anything against him or to angry him, but she still has her own opinion regarding situations and topics. Despite being only an elementary student, Izumi is quite mature, responsible and independent for her age that she's able to do house chores from cleaning and doing laundry on her own. Although she carries many emotional scars, Izumi tries to act like a normal child as much as she could in order to grow up normally and ease some of her brother's worries.

_**Profile** _

_"_ _M-My name is Izumi..._ _Izumi Konno... and I'm N-Nagisa's little sister. I-I may not look like it, b-but I'm a huge fan o-of The Phantom Thieves..._ _"_

-Izumi Konno, _Persona 5_

**тнιѕ ωση'т вє мєηтισηє∂ тσ ανσι∂ ѕρσιℓєяѕ!!!**

  
**_Etymology_ **

Izumi is translated as "spring" or "fountain."

**_Trivia_ **

• Izumi's favorite fruit is apples.

• She's so far the youngest character ever to appear in the _Persona 5_ universe.

• She's the first child character to ever be created by [DarkRose--Chan](https://www.wattpad.com/user/DarkRose--Chan).

• Izumi's also the very first non-Phantom Thief character to be created.

• The original face claim of Izumi is Eri from _M_ _y Hero Academia_.

• Although she's an elementary student, Izumi doesn't only read children books. She enjoys scanning through novels even if she doesn't understand most of it.

• Her Japanese VA Seiran Kobayashi is known for her roles as Erssime from _Space Dandy_ and Seki Oriko from _Okko's Inn._

• Her English VA Emily Neves is known for her roles as Sirius from _M_ y _Hero Academia_ , Minene Uryuu from _Future Diary_ , Kanade Tachibana from _A_ _ngel Beats!_ , Kotomi Ichinose from _C_ _lannad_ , and many more.


	4. ~Prologue~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How it all began.

The screams of people around were fading in her ears and turning to nothing but mere echoes that were vanishing in the distance like incomprehensible whispers. Pain rushed through her limbs... she felt weak and unable to stand up, and the blurry images didn't help much either to understand what was going on around her. Blinking her eyes a few times, she swore that she caught the glimpse of a human figure laying in front of her on the road, exposed to cold and rain, and was soaked wet from the top to bottom. When all her five senses kicked back into her again, it all finally came back to her...

Blood.

The puddle of the scarlet substance only extended more and more on the asphalt, coloring the rainwater with a deep shade of red that was slowly being washed away. Horrified screams burst through the street as many were running to where the incident took place to check whether the person that fell on the road still had life in them or not. Her red eyes widened beneath the lenses of her glasses as the water was rolling down her face and the few locks that fell on her features, colored even in a darker shade in red than the blood she was seeing. All the shouts and calls to her to ask her whether she was fine didn't matter to her anymore, she couldn't care less about that right now... she could only look at the body that laid a few feet away from her as the blood reached her fingertips.

"Big bro..."

The red scared irises of a small child lifted up to the person who gave her tiny hand a reassuring squeeze as he took it within his own firmly and surely, unwilling to ever let go of her. A pair of emerald green orbs were looking at the scene as their owner's jaw was trembling badly... the little girl could feel how terrified that boy was since his hand shook uncontrollably that had hers in it. However, the boy looked back at the girl with a smile as if trying to tell her that everything will be fine... yet, the child saw right through it all the fear and horror it held from every tremble and quiver his lips made. She was no fool, he was always like that every time she was with him... and while she was grateful for his attempts of making her feel at ease, she still couldn't help herself but worry about him.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine..."

Though she was a bit hesitant, the small girl nodded slowly if it meant to ease the boy's worries even for a little bit before she held out her other unoccupied hand to cling into the boy's arm tightly, whimpering quietly under her breath. His green irises returned to where the red-haired girl was still lying on the road and looking at the bloodied physique in front of her with the most horrified expression on her face. Her entire form shuddered from both the rain that was falling on her and the fear that was taking all over her... her lips quivered uncontrollably as well, unable to form any word or sound whatsoever--she was just beyond shocked. Seeing that the little girl was whimpering and hiding behind his back, the boy put his hand behind the child's back before guiding her to walk away from the area. She was still young and shouldn't see something as terrorizing as blood, that might scar her for life.

".........!"

Among the crowd that observed that horrifying incident and standing underneath her umbrella was a bespectacled brown-haired girl who caught the glimpse of the fallen body. Her dark brown eyes, from behind her half-rimmed oval-shaped lenses, were as wide as possible with her mouth parted from the undeniable amount of shock she felt, her chest stung her, and was letting out quick and heavy pants from her quivering lips. The brown-haired's body wouldn't move an inch from its posture and felt like it was glued to the road... the shape of the body, as well as the blood forming from it, felt all too similar to her, an awful state of deja vu. She gagged and was about to throw up from the scene she was witnessing so when she finally couldn't take it anymore, she ran away from all the crowd, all the noise, all the pain, all the suffering... it was just too much for her to take.

_"No..."_

_"No! No! No! No! No!"_

_"This isn't happening!"_

_"No...!"_

_"I killed her..."_

_"It's my fault... It's all my fault!"_

_"Why?! Why did it have to be her? Why...?! It should've been me! Not her!"_

_"I'm a killer! Her blood is on my hand...!"_

_"I killed her... I did it..."_

_"I killed her..."_

_"I killed her..."_

_"I killed her..."_

_"I killed her..."_

_"I KILLED HER!"_

"A... aaa... aah..." The red-haired's quivering lips began moving.

And that was the moment that the bespectacled brown-haired girl and the green-eyed boy along with the red-eyed small girl heard the most blood-curdling scream that will forever haunt them around.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The author doesn't own Persona 5 Royal nor its plot, they're mere properties for Atlus. Inc and everyone involved in it.
> 
> The author only owns her original characters along with other extra characters that will show up during the storyline and will play important roles, also she owns the plot twists that'll be added to the story's plot and the backstories of some of the canon characters.
> 
> This story will contain spoilers for Persona 5 Royal, so in case you didn't finish the game, the author highly recommends you do not read further than this point. You have been warned.
> 
> And now, the author deeply wishes all of you a wonderful and unforgettable experience reading her work.
> 
> Author: Rand Talih
> 
> Published on: Tue/Mar 31/2020


	5. Chapter 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arrival of a convicted country boy to his new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my honor to present to you the first chapter of my Persona 5 Royal fan fiction! In the honor of the game's release in the west, I loved to publish the story on the same day it came out! Now then, let's make this an unforgettable experience, shall we?

".........!" A light gasp escaped from a young boy who woke up from his deep slumber.

He had wavy unkempt black hair, dark gray eyes, and a set of black glasses. His clothes consisted of a school uniform that had a red-buttoned black blazer with an emblem on the pocket, a white turtleneck shirt with chevron detailing on the collar, red plaid trousers, and black shoes. Shifting the gaze of his dark grey eyes around him and catching the glimpse of the crowd of people around him, he recalled that he was on a train away from home. A sigh escaped his lips as he massaged his temples while lowering his face down, exhaustion was written all over his features.

"I must've fallen asleep..." He mumbled to himself.

_**"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving at Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines. The doors to your left will open."** _

The boy looked down with a frown planted on his face as if an unpleasant memory came back to him to haunt him once more.

*******

_**A drunk middle-aged man forcefully grabbed the wrist of a young woman against her own will.** _

_**"Whoa, whoa! What's going on here?" He asked.** _

_**"Please, help!" The woman pleaded.** _

_**The raven-haired walked towards the man and grabbed him by his shoulder to spin him towards his face, but the drunk man tripped and fell backward which caused him to injure his forehead. The woman stood behind the teenager gasping in fear while he looked at his own hands while the man stood up.** _

_**"Damn brat. I'll sue...!"** _

_**Before he could even know it, two police officers held him by his two arms dragging him towards the car.** _

*******

He stared on his lap while narrowing his eyes and frowning at such an unpleasant memory that he really didn't want to remember. What brought him back to reality was the gossip of two female students next to him.

"What? Are you for real? A mental shutdown?

"It's the truth!"

"To a person though? That's gotta be a joke. You really love all that occult stuff, don't you?"

"A mental shutdown, huh...?" The raven-haired mumbled to himself before staring at the window behind him, "This is my stop, Shibuya..."

"Isn't Akechi-Kun awesome?" A female student suddenly exclaimed.

"A famous detective, and still in high school! It's like he's living in another world!" Her friend also exclaimed while watching the news on YouTube on her phone.

"Goro Akechi solves another case, following Naoto Shirogane being billed as **'the second coming of the Detective Prince,'** and--" The newscaster was talking.

".........?!" The two girls looked puzzlingly at the boy who was watching the news from the girl's phone.

"A-Ah! Excuse me!" The boy apologized nervously.

*******

_**\------Shibuya------** _

After the train finally reached its destination in Shibuya, the raven-haired boy walked outside the station toward the street, staring at the screen of his phone. He lifted the gaze of his grey eyes to see the crowds of people walking in the roads, non-stop... the area was crazily crowded and looked on a whole different level from what he heard and saw online. Life was buzzing in every inch and corner of the area like it was the Japanese version of the city that never sleeps.

"So, this is Shibuya..." He mumbled under his breath.

What caught his attention back to his phone was the sound of a beep but when he looked at the screen, his eyes were met with an ominous-looking red eyeball app. He frowned while trying to click it, but it wouldn't open and he had no memory of installing such an app anywhere... huh, strange. When he looked at the road once, everything around him froze in place as if time itself had stopped... nothing was moving around him at all; no car, no human being, no nothing.

"Wh-What happened here...?" The raven-haired looked around him shockingly.

He looked at the distance to see a light blue flame burning and taking the form of a demonic face, followed by an eerie laugh that rang right through his ear. Then, he swore that he caught the glimpse of a figure grinning darkly at him and staring at him with those golden eyes, a figure that looked just like... himself. At that moment, everything returned to normal and moved like they used to again, not giving the boy the slightest chance to question anything. It all happened so fast, after all...

"What was that all about...?"

The teenager looked around him in confusion about what he just saw, then he decided to delete that weird app that appeared on his phone out of blues. He continued his way to head to the subway station to ride another train to Yongen-Jaya, so many unanswered questions arose in his mind. The moment he set foot out of the station, a lot of strange events were occurring to the teen.

What was going on exactly...?

*******

 _ **\------Yongen**_ - _ **Jaya-------**_

The raven-haired teenager arrived at the wanted destination to the extremely narrow backstreets of Yongen which proved to be quite challenging to find even if he had the GPS on. Looking around him once more, he couldn't help but notice how narrow the streets were and how amazingly they were brimming in life. The shops were all wide open and the movement of residents there didn't show any sign of stopping any time soon either.

"Starting today, Sojiro Sakura will be taking care of me. His house should be in the backstreets of this residential area..." The raven-haired murmured.

But where exactly he needed to go? He was still lost there.

"Excuse me...!" He ran towards an officer who was standing just a few feet away from him.

"Yes?" The unfriendly officer replied.

"I want to ask for directions." The boy showed him a paper with an address scribbled on it.

"Hm? You want to get to the residence of that address...? It's in an alley a bit further back. Take a right after that apartment with the stairs."

"Thank you, sir."

He walked in the direction given by the police officer to an even narrower alleyway that showed a residential house with a delivery van parked outside.

"The nameplate here says **'Sakura.'** It looks like this might be Sojiro Sakura's house..." The raven-haired told himself before ringing the doorbell.

He waited for a couple of minutes, looking around him but even after ringing the doorbell. It didn't look like anyone will answer the door.

"Maybe he's gone out..." The raven-haired trailed while scratching his hair, "Such trouble..."

"Looks like no one's home..." A parcel deliveryman spoke up.

"Do you know where he could be?"

"Oh, yeah... Sakura-San's usually at his café around the time. Well, Leblanc's in the back alley so I should make my other deliveries first..." The parcel deliveryman explained, "Mmm, next I need to take this package to..."

"Leblanc... a French name, I see..." The raven-haired mumbled, "All right then, thanks."

The teenager walked away from the house toward the back alley as he heard, looking for the café which shouldn't be hard to find given how unique its name was. He reached the narrow alley and stopped his tracks when he saw a café that had the name "Leblanc" which he murmured written in elegant cursive letters. Not only it served coffee but according to the sign, they had curry in there too. Hesitantly, he opened the door after taking a deep breath to get welcomed by the aroma of coffee and the retro, yet soothing atmosphere of the shop.

He took a few steps inside, inhaling the delicious smell of freshly-brewed coffee and admiring the interior decor in awe before spotting two elderly customers sitting on a booth and the manager reading a newspaper. The manager had slicked-back dark hair with a receding hairline, a chinstrap beard with a goatee that flared out, and wore glasses. His clothes were a pink dress shirt that went up to his elbows, a black striped apron with white vertical lines, and two buttons at the top, khaki capris, and white shoes.

"A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it! The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up." A tabloid show host said on TV.

"........?" The raven-haired had a puzzled look after hearing the news.

"How frightening." An elderly male customer commented.

"What could be going on? Didn't something similar happen just the other day?" An elderly female customer added.

"And down is... the name of a shellfish used in pearl framing..." The manager was mumbling to himself before he noticed the presence of the teenager, "...Oh, right. They did say that was today." He left the newspaper on the counter.

"Um..." The boy trailed.

"We'll be going now. The payment's on the table." The elderly male customer stood up.

"Thanks for coming." The manager said.

"This place is in the back alley, so there are no worries of a car crashing in here." The elderly male customer joked.

"A what now?" The manager asked shockingly.

"There's been a string of those rampage accidents, you know. I just hope that none happen around here." The elderly male customer explained.

"It's none of my concern." The manager simply said.

"Haha, we'll see you next time." The elderly male customer said before he and his wife walked out of the café.

"...Four hours for just a single cup of joe." The manager sighed deeply, "So, you're the one, huh?"

"I'm Ren Amamiya. I appreciate this." The teenager bowed.

"...Uh-huh. I'm Sojiro Sakura. You'll be in my custody over the next year." Sojiro introduced himself, "I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh?"

"Huh...?"

"Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other, and--- well, not that matters... follow me." Sojiro took the stairs up towards the attic.

Ren blinked several times at the unbearably messy state the attic was the first moment he set foot there. Not only was it horribly dusty, but a lot of objects were thrown aimlessly here and there, and the furniture was covered as well. It almost looked like a tornado flew there and wrecked everything.

"This is your room. I'll at least give you sheets for your bed."

Ren looked around him once more and opened his mouth to say how much the room was cluttered and looked like a garbage dump but respecting Sojiro's hospitality, he shut his own mouth and decided against it.

"You look like you wanna say something."

"Umm... It sure is big."

"It's on you to clean up the rest." Sojiro seemed to buy it, "I'll be leaving after I lock up each day. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble."

"I understand..."

"Now then... I got the gist of your situation. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?"

"........?!" Ren gasped softly, "You have the wrong idea. I just..."

"I don't wanna hear it. I won't ask you about it either. Just don't get me involved."

".........."

"That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah? ...And now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The court's ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved."

"That's pretty much it..."

"In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass."

"..........."

"It's best you do not talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know. Behave yourself for the year. If nothing happens, your probation will be lifted."

"Probation?" Ren questioned.

"Your sentence lasts until next spring, right? That's why you're gonna be here for the coming year. Cause any problems, and you'll be sent straight to juvie." Sojiro threatened, "We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow."

"..........?" Ren blinked in confusion.

"Shujin Academy. We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know. What a waste of my Sunday..."

"Okay." Ren said obediently.

"Your **'luggage'** arrived a little while ago. I brought it up here for you." Sojiro pointed at a box left on the floor before walking down the stairs.

"Great. I'm being looked down on already, even by my own guardian. Just great." Ren sighed deeply before looking at the box.

"It's the cardboard box sent from back home..." Ren knelt down, "I could really use some more comfortable clothes now instead of this uniform."

Ren had spent that night a lot more than simply being lonely, filling his time by cleaning the room from the dust, mopping the floor, wiping the windows, and getting his luggage sent from home from a box. He even ate instant ramen all by himself after using some boiled water from the kitchen... huh, no wonder why he was so skinny and thin-built. Feeling exhausted from all the work he'd done alone, he changed his clothes and laid down on the bed while looking at the ceiling, a frown forming on his face once more.

_"Arrest... trial... criminal record... Still, I couldn't let that go..."_

_"That day... I had to go home early..."_

*******

 _ **Ren was running back to his home after buying some groceries from a nearby store as his father asked him to.**_ _**But on his way, struggling voices caught his attention and caused him to stop his tracks to listen carefully.**_

_**"Just get in the car!"** _

_**"Stop it!"** _

_**"** _ _**Hm?" Ren hummed to himself.** _

_**He swore that he heard a man and woman arguing** _ _**just right ahead of him.** _

_**"How dare you cross me!"** _

_**"Stop it! Let me go!"** _

_**Running toward the scene, all of his suspicions were proved to be true... and even worse.** _

_**"No...!" The struggling woman cried out.** _

_**"Don't give me that shit..." The drunk man said.** _

_**"Ow! P-Please, stop...!"** _

_**'I have to save her. I can't ignore this!' Ren thought t** _ _**o himself.** _

_**"Tch... what a waste of time." The drunk man clicked his tongue, "You think you're worth causing me trouble? Huh?"** _

_**"I-I'll call the police!"** _

_**"Heh, call them if you want! The police are my bitches. They're not gonna take you seriously."** _

_**"No... stop...!" The struggling woman pleaded in despair.** _

_**What caught their attention was the voices of the police sirens drawing near the spot.** _

_**"Someone called the cops, huh? Get in the car! Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I steer this country!" The drunk man said.** _

_**"Hey!" Ren called angrily not taking this anymore.** _

_**"...What're you looking at? Get outta my face! This ain't a show. Get lost, kid." The drunk man said.** _

_**"See? This is all because you're so damn slow! Get in the car!" The drunk man said to the woman yet again.** _

*******

Ren was so deep in his awful memories to the point of running his hand into his head furiously. Before losing his sanity, he decided to take a book that was next to him on the bed and occupy himself with some crosswords.

" **'Oyster,'** is it?" Ren spoke to himself.

While Ren was thinking of the solution, the voice of his phone buzzing made him snap back to reality and grab his phone. He had a puzzled look on his face when he saw the same eyeball app popping back again on his homepage.

"Hm? It's the same weird app that somehow ended up on my phone... but I thought I deleted it..." Ren murmured to himself.

He deleted the app once again and stared back at the ceiling with his dull and tired eyes as he narrowed them the more he thought about that incident. Suddenly, his eyelids were feeling extremely heavy and were struggling to keep themselves open, thus he ended up in a deep slumber not knowing what waited for him. It felt like his body betrayed him and was acting on its own and disobeying him, yet he allowed it to carry him away from the reality he lived in and into the realm of dreams.

*******

_**\------?????-------** _

"..........!"

A light gasp came out from the raven-haired boy as he snapped his eyes fully open before getting up to notice himself wearing a prisoner's black and white striped suit, and that both of his hands were completely cuffed. He sat down, placing a hand on his head to try to gather his thoughts before looking around him in confusion, realizing that he was inside a prisoner's cell... a place he knew too well that made him sick. So many unpleasant memories were in such a similar place once in the past. More importantly, why was he in such a place, and how he ended up there in the first place?

"Fufufufu."

Upon hearing that one anonymous chuckle near him, he looked at the cell's door to see two girl twins walking toward the entrance. The twins both wore a black eye patch with the letter "V" over one of their eyes and a blue prison guard outfit. One of them had a long braid and a hat with the letters "O-Y-O-O," while the other had hair buns and a hat with the letters "X-M-R-N." The letters appeared to spell "OXYMORON." They wore a brassard on their right arm. They also had matching black ties.

He got up from the bed to see the twins blocking the entrance away from him, much to his confusion, before trying to walk toward the door, yet he felt like he's being held back. Ren looked to see that his left leg was also cuffed with a gigantic metallic boulder, preventing him from moving as he wanted and limiting himself within the radius of a few feet only. When Ren finally managed to get to the door after some undeniable effort, he gripped its bars tightly as the twins stepped aside for the boy to see what laid ahead of him. The teen let out a gasp of shock when he saw that there was a table that stood in the center of the circular room, and on the table sat a bizarre-looking old man with a long nose, pointed ears, and bulging, bloodshot eyes, wearing a black suit with white gloves.

"Trickster... welcome to my Velvet Room." The old man with the long nose extended his gloved hand to the teen.

"Wh-What's going on here?!" Ren asked while shaking the cell's bars.

"So you've come to, Inmate." The malicious girl nearly spat.

"The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream." The quiet girl added.

"You're in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!"

"Master...?" Ren trailed.

"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a **'contract'** may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well. I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well."

"Important matters?" Ren asked.

"Still, this is a surprise... the state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a **'prisoner'** of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you."

"Wait, ruin?"

"I speak of the end to everything. However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be **'rehabilitated.'** Rehabilitated toward freedom... that is your only means to avoid ruin." Igor added, "...Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

"...Wait, what?".

"You didn't decline, hm? Very well, that is enough. Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation." Igor finished when the two twins stepped in front of the cell.

"Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here."

"Hmph, try and struggle as hard as you like." Caroline scoffed.

"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators." Justine stated, "...That is if you remain obedient."

"I shall explain the roles of these two on another occasion. Now then, it seems the night is waning... it is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually..."

And just when Igor finished his sentence, the sound of an electric bell rang through the whole room, catching Ren completely off guard.

"Time's up. Now hurry up and go back to sleep." Caroline dismissed him.

Before Ren could even say anything, his body felt heavier than ever and was slowly collapsing on the ground after all the strength left his body entirely. The last thing he ever saw or heard was the blurry image of Igor and the twin wardens as well as incomprehensible words that faded like an echo in the distance in his eyes. Away from the world of dreams, he was forcefully being pulled back to the harsh reality that awaited him.

*******

_**\------The Next Day------** _

Waking from his sleep drenched in sweat, Ren looked around him with horrified eyes before he sighed deeply to himself to see that he was back in Leblanc's attic. It was all just a dream, just one hell of a weird dream... that was what Ren kept telling himself as he got to and changed into his school uniform. Still, if it truly was just a dream, why did it feel so real and lingered in his mind? Seeing how his hand was shaking from the impact of such a night, his other hand gripped into his shaky wrist tightly while mentally chanting to himself to get a grip on himself. He couldn't afford to look _weak_ at all in front of others, otherwise, they'd eat him alive-- he was a teen with a criminal record, a fancy prey for judging eyes.

 _"What a strange dream... ruin... rehabilitation... what does it mean...?"_ He thought while buttoning his black blazer.

"Looks like you're up." Sojiro had a slightly shocked look on his face as he walked into the room, "Well then, let's go introduce ourselves properly to the staff about your transfer. The school you're attending is in the Aoyama district. It'll take a while to get there by train. The transfers are a real hassle, too. I'll drive you there, but just for today. Let's go."

With that, he left again.

"Sheesh... men aren't usually allowed in my passenger seat." Sojiro sighed while he was walking down the stairs.

He thought that Ren wouldn't hear it, except he did... loud and clear.

"It's not like you're getting any ladies in the first place..." Ren mumbled to himself before following the man.

Ouch.

*******

_**\------Daytime: Shujin's Gate------** _

Stepping out from Sojiro's car, Ren's eyes were immediately locked at the exterior of the school building with slightly wide eyes that looked at it in awe. It was huge! Nothing compared to his old high school back at his home, and it looked like a rather elite and fancy institute as well. And that was when the smallest smile on Ren's face was immediately replaced with a frown as many thoughts began swirling in his mind... why would such a prestigious school like that accept a low-life loathy scum like him? Sojiro seemed to notice the change in Ren's expression and even caught a glimpse of how his fingers dug deeply into his trousers which made him knit his eyebrows in suspicion. Was that kid really... nervous? Huh.

"Do me a favor and behave yourself, all right? Don't get me wrong--I don't care what happens to you. Just don't cause me any trouble." Sojiro stated while walking inside the gate.

"Fine, douchebag..." Ren mumbled while sticking his tongue out of his mouth.

Following his guardian into the school's premises, Ren made sure to observe his surroundings as much as possible to memorize whatever he could so he can move around at ease starting from tomorrow. The first floor has a co-op selling bread and three vending machines; one near the co-op and two at the practical building, he made sure to take a mental note to go there if he ever wanted to get a snack. And on the second floor, they stood their tracks at an office that had the sign "principal office' written on it, so Ren quietly cleared his throat as Sojiro knocked on the door. Hearing a sound that allowed them to walk in, the two stepped into the office and were welcomed with the sight of an overweight and bald man who wore a beige suit, white undershirt, and red bow tie. That was undoubtedly the principal... the plaque placed on his desk read as "Kobayakawa."

"To reiterate, just so we're clear, you'll immediately be expelled if you cause any problems. In my opinion, you're nothing but a liability, but we had our circumstances to consider... whatever you might've gotten away with in your hometown... those days are over. If you are thrown out of our school, there will be no place for you to go. Keep that in mind."

"I understand, sir..."

"Good. This is the teacher in charge of your class." The principal pointed at a woman standing on his left.

The teacher was a youthful-looking woman of medium height and a slender build. She had dark brown unkempt hair, dark brown eyes. She wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt striped with white and red horizontal lines, a blue denim skirt, and white kitten heel shoes.

"I'm Sadayo Kawakami. Here's your student ID." She handed the ID to Ren.

However, as she was giving him the ID, a small piece of paper fell down from her, briefly showing a maid's picture, yet Ms. Kawakami picked it up quickly before Ren could see it. But he did catch a glimpse of it.

"Be sure to read the school rules. Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, if by chance you cause any problems, I won't be able to protect you at all." Ms. Kawakami stated before looking at the principal, "...That IS your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa?"

"He is responsible for all his actions."

"But really though, why me? There should've been better candidates."

"It was a sudden transfer, and your class was the only one that had an opening."

"If you're done explaining things, mind if we get going? I got a store to get back to." Sojiro spoke after finishing the transfer papers.

"Sakura-San, please keep a close eye on him. Don't let him cause any trouble outside..." The principal reminded.

"Well, I'll be sure to have a serious talk about the situation he's in."

"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow. I'll show you to your classroom." Ms. Kawakami spoke.

"Yes, ma'am." Ren bowed.

Well, that wasn't as bad as he initially thought... maybe?

Sighing deeply to himself after stepping out of the principal's office, Ren followed his new guardian down the stairs once more toward the first floor. That time, every little sparkle he had in his eyes completely vanished and was replaced with a dull and tired gaze that only looked ahead in an empty way. It was all too hard on the poor boy... all those disapproved gazes and wary tones. Again, Sojiro stole a quick glance at the boy from the corner of his eye to witness his nearly-dead gaze as he followed him--a complete change from before which made him pursue his lips before deciding to speak up.

"Everyone's giving you the cold shoulder. That's what having a criminal record does to you. Turns out your past follows you wherever you go."

".........." Ren grunted under his breath.

"By the way... if you get expelled now, I won't hesitate to kick you out. Got it?"

"Don't worry. I'll be careful."

"Hmph... school never changes, huh? Come on, we're going home."

Yeah, home... what home exactly? The one he was forced to live in for the next year? Yes, that home.

*******

_**\------Meanwhile: Shujin's Courtyard------** _

In the outdoors of the school, Ms. Kawakami massaged her temples while leaning forward on the passageway that split the main campus and the practical building from one another. Even though she had just met the rumored transfer student, she felt tired and exhausted all of a sudden... talk about a stressful way to spend her weekend. Still, there was something about that boy's aura that she couldn't place a finger on now, something that didn't seem... right. Then, she heard footsteps approaching her which caused her ears to perk up and look that a male teacher was walking to her who had long black unkempt hair and thick eyebrows--his jawline was broad and square. He wore a white sports T-shirt and black sports trousers with double white stripes.

"What a troublesome situation." The jersey-wearing teacher had a troubled look on his face.

"I can't believe they pushed someone with a record on me. A male teacher would be better suited for this..." Ms. Kawakami trailed.

"Why in the world was someone like that admitted here?"

"Who knows? It was the principal's decision. I was told it's for the school's reputation."

"I would've thought that my volleyball team has contributed more than enough to cover that."

"That's certainly true."

"Be careful, okay? Then again, if anything were to happen, I'd kick out a student like that right away."

"I keep wishing that he'd just end up not coming to school. Still, that isn't something I should be saying as a teacher..." Ms. Kawakami sighed.

"Well, I should be returning to practice."

"Oh right. The tournament's coming up, isn't it?"

"Hehe, having such high expectations placed on you by others is quite a problem in itself. We'll have to work hard to make up for the track team too."

"Yes... that's true." Ms. Kawakami agreed before the male teacher walked away.

"Why'd it have to be my class?" Ms. Kawakami sighed to herself once more.

Huh, strange.

*******

In Sojiro's car, Ren was zoning out of this world, staring at the window to see the heavily crowded street with endless cars not moving at all. His cheek was buried in his open palm as his dark grey eyes were darting here and there aimlessly as if nothing mattered for him anymore... because that was somehow correct. Soon, his attention was drifted to Sojiro after hearing his angry and frustrated voice as if the end of the world was drawing very near.

"Uuugh. Traffic's not moving at all... you're taking the train starting tomorrow." Sojiro growled.

"Yeah, I know..."

"...So how was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?"

"We'll see."

"Now listen up. Still, you were expelled once already. To think you'd re-enroll at a different one. It's not like anyone will be sympathetic with you."

"I'm not expecting that anyone would... I'm the trash of society, after all." Ren admitted.

Even such a harsh response caught Sojiro slightly off-guard before shifting himself.

"...If that's what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too... what a troublesome kid I've taken in."

"Why did you take me in then?" Ren suddenly asked. The light reflecting on his glasses' lenses was hiding his eyes entirely.

"I was asked to do it, and I just... happened to agree to it. I've already been paid for it too, after all. Anyway, don't get yourself involved in any nonsense. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And no matter what happens, pretend like you didn't see it. Got it?"

"Yes." Ren clenched his fist angrily.

"Again, a subway derailed at Shibuya Station, greatly affecting the timetable all across the--" The newscaster was talking on the radio.

"...Another accident? So that's why it's so crowded. There's been a lot of those lately. In fact, there was a real sad one just last month... it happened before you came here. If I remember right, the girl that passed away was only fifteen. Her parents have gotta be just..."

_"Fifteen?!"_

"...All traffic around Shibuya Station is being redirected due to the accident, so drivers should expect jam-packed streets." The newscaster continued.

"Oh, come on!" Sojiro tapped on the steering wheel impatiently.

*******

_**\------Meanwhile------** _

At the subway station, there was a train that was moving at an abnormal speed, causing the passengers to scream in panic and banging on the driver's door to make him stop. Some were tripping and others were holding into one another or the train's pillars for dear life like everything depended on it... because it was just like that. Horror was written all over the passengers' faces while some were shrieking in their places and calling for the driver, begging him to stop... but all of their prayers fell on deaf ears.

"Hey! What's going on?!" One of them banged on the door harshly

The driver never moved an inch despite all the cries and calls from behind the door--black goo was dripping from his mouth while his eyes were rolled backward. Every sign of life was gone from him.

_**"We're experiencing technical difficulties in the lower line."** _

"I don't have a visual yet. Oh, f--"

The train reached the station and flipped on its side, causing severe damages to the railway to the point of being destroyed, but luckily people moved backward quickly. All the trailers piled on one another, crashing against each other and creating clouds of smoke and thus, earning the horrified screams of people who once stood on the platform. It was a true genocide that no one had to see.

"That was direct footage from the accident. According to the police, the engineer's life was not in danger despite his injuries. After questioning, even he could not explain his high speed when approaching the station. No further comments were made. Police are still looking for a possible motive." The news reporter said on TV.

"It's less of an operating accident and more of a crime to the company and the government. Site inspectors apparently reported all of this six months ago-- and deterioration of its tracks and the ATC. Seems the railway company and the Ministry of Transport both turned a blind eye to the truth. There's no way they can hide. This will go all the way to the top." A bald man wearing glasses spoke.

"Now on to our main story, with this derailment accident, as well as other incidents of unknown motive, the concern is spreading among the general public. Just what could be causing such a drastic change so suddenly in these people?"

"Everything's linked--that's what you're thinking, correct?" The bald man asked a gray-haired woman stood next to him, "...Ah well. Are you free? You and I haven't gone for a drink in a while."

"Thank you, sir, but I have another meeting to attend. I must be going." The gray-haired bowed before exiting the office.

While she was walking the stairs down, she met a shaggy brown-haired high schooler with reddish-brown eyes in the middle of the way. He looked up at her with a bright smile while adjusting the position of his attaché case in his hand.

"Did you ask for me? Is it a case?" The brown-haired asked.

"Not quite. I want your opinion on something." The gray-haired replied.

"Sure. Your judgment is quite often correct, though. Can we discuss this over sushi, perhaps? You are making a student work late, after all."

"Conveyor belt only." The woman continued her way downstairs.

"Aw..."

*******

_**\------Evening: Leblanc------** _

The trip back to the café proved itself to be a lot longer than it was supposed to with the traffic movement being so goddamn slow. It took Sojiro hours to be able to drive away from the area around Shibuya Station and back into Yongen, the jam-packed roads were worse than he originally thought. And through the whole trip back, Ren was awfully quiet and didn't even open his mouth all the way and kept staring out the window quietly which made Sojiro steal a few glances at him back at the passenger's seat to make sure he was fine, knitting his eyebrows in the process--it was indeed quite the difference in the mood for the young boy.

"Damn, to think there'd be that much traffic... what a waste of time. I wasn't able to open the café today..." Sojiro sighed.

".........."

"...Whatever. Just head upstairs. Talk about a gruesome accident... eighty people were involved." Sojiro read the news online when his phone rang, "Hey, what's up? ...I'm about to leave right now. Don't worry I'll be there in no time. Uh-huh. I'll see you soon." He hung up.

"Well, I'm off. I'll lock the place up, so do whatever you want for the rest of the night. Oh, but don't mess up my store. If something goes missing, I'll hand you right over to the cops. You got school tomorrow... you better head off to bed, all right?" Sojiro said before he went out of the shop.

After he closed the door behind him, Ren's frown only grew more visible on his face as his fingers dug deeply in the fabric of his trousers while clenching his jaw tightly. He thought that he'd get used to all the threats, all the stares, all the looks over time... but they were only getting worse for him.

Damn...

*******

_**\------Time Skip: The Next Day------** _

That morning, Ren woke up feeling as dull as the previous night. He was supposed to start attending his new school from that day but wasn't looking forward to it in any way, not after the meeting with his principal and teacher. His only consolation was that no one besides the faculty knew of his history, so he hoped he'd finish his year as quietly as possible without making any scene or causing any trouble.

"I have school starting today. Hopefully, I can get here without getting lost... and I really don't want to be late for my first day..." Ren mumbled to himself while grabbing his school bag and walking downstairs.

"Oh, so you actually are going to school, huh? Here, I'll feed you. Just make sure you finish it before customers start coming in." Sojiro placed a dish on the counter.

"Curry...? That's my breakfast?"

"Don't complain. Just eat."

"All right..." Ren sighed while sitting on the counter and started eating his breakfast.

But the moment he took the first bite, his eyes widened at the delicious and spicy flavor that exploded in his tongue before he started digging in quickly and devouring it like there was no tomorrow. He had nothing but instant noodles for the last two days, so such food was a luxury to him, and seeing his reaction at the food, Sojiro couldn't help himself but smile for a brief moment upon seeing how Ren's eyes lit up and went back to life again.

"It's time for you to go." Sojiro took the empty plate.

"Thanks for the meal. It was delicious." Ren bowed politely.

"Huh, turns out you do have manners after all." Sojiro smiled briefly, "...Hurry over to school. You'll end up late if you get lost on the way."

"All right."

"Oh yeah, and flip the sign outside to **'Open'** for me."

"Okay, got it."

"Don't forget to do that for me, all right? Now, you better hurry on out. You're gonna be late if you get lost, country boy."

"Well then, I'm off."

After Ren exited the shop with the smallest smile on his smile and Sojiro started cleaning the counter before him while watching the news after he saw from the door how the boy did flip the sign as he took off. After a little while, the door's bell rang and a customer walked in who was a regular, so Sojiro served him what he'd usually order and watched TV together.

"Oh man... did it say it was going to rain today?" A man in a suit asked.

"Huh? It's raining outside?" Sojiro dumbfounded.

"It just started all of a sudden... this is why I hate the early spring."

"That reminds me... did he take an umbrella?"

"Hm? Who're you talking about?"

"Don't mind me. So, what'll it be?"

"One house blend, please."

"The effects of yesterday's subway accident continues on today as various lines suffer delays and--" The newscaster said on TV.

"There's been a lot of nasty accidents lately. You know... I mean the subway accident that the news is talking about... my coworker got caught up in it and is in the hospital now... but that aside, it's kinda creepy. The people who caused these accidents supposedly went crazy all of a sudden. I heard that some of them suffered from nervous breakdowns during interrogation." The man in the suit said.

"Huh..." That was all what Sojiro said.

*******

All the students were running in the streets under the rain and heading toward school while grabbing their umbrellas, creating splashes as they stepped on puddles on the way. Unfortunately, Ren didn't even think that it'd rain on his first day, so he took shelter under a shop while listening to the students talking while running past him. He looked up at the sky once more, noticing how the rain didn't show any sign of letting up any time soon.

"What's the first period again?"

"I don't know!"

Then, he pulled his phone out to look again at the map to make sure that he was on the right path to school, but he noticed the same eyeball app popping again on the homepage out of nowhere.

"Hm...?"

Ren sighed again as a hooded figure of a girl walked toward him and stood right next to him while wiping the rainwater away from her blazer. She pulled her hood down to reveal her bright blue eyes and platinum blonde wavy hair styled in bushy pigtails, with parted side bangs on the right side of her face. She accessorized with a single yellow hair clip above her left ear, as well as small circular earrings on both ears. Her school uniform was modified; the standard black blazer over a white varsity-like hoodie worn long to cover most of her short plaid skirt. Her hoodie had a zipper, a red stripe between two blue stripes at the bottom, and an S symbol near the front bottom on one side, and a green four-leaf-clover symbol on the back of the hood. She wore red tights and brown boots with yellow laces.

The platinum blonde-haired girl looked around her before noticing Ren staring at her in awe for no reason. However, she decided to brush it off and give him a friendly smile of her own after seeing how his overall aura never gave any malicious intentions, only a boy looking at her with curiosity and awe.

"There's..."

And out of nowhere, the platinum blonde-haired girl shifted her gaze to the boy and pulled her arm to Ren's face which caused him to stiffen from her sudden action. However, she only just intended to reach a single cherry blossom petal that was stuck in his hair in order to remove it.

"I hate this rain. It scatters pretty blossoms everywhere." The girl said while fiddling with the petal.

She looked back at the road with silence filling the air between her and Ren, neither daring to make eye contact or start a conversation. And for a once, that silence was very much welcomed to Ren.

"Uwaaaah...!"

A male student who was running ahead of them, fell on the road since his foot slid due to how rainy the streets were, causing an audible plop as his body collided with the concrete. He groaned as he rested his hands on the road, his bag flying from his hands and falling into the water... his entire uniform was soaked since he fell strongly on his stomach and chest. He didn't have an umbrella on him either and was using his bag as his only resort of protection. Without much thinking, Ren sprinted away from the little temporary shelter he had with the platinum blonde-haired girl toward the boy after covering his head with his own school bag as well.

Ren extended his hand to the boy who was somewhat short, his round face was framed by a short mess of fluffy dark-green hair which stuck up at odd angles around his head, casting noticeably dark shadows onto itself. His eyes were large and somewhat circular, their irises were the same green color as his hair, giving him an innocent appearance, and had a set of four symmetrical freckles in diamond formations, one on each cheek. He wore the same uniform as Ren that consisted of a red-buttoned black blazer with the school's emblem on the pocket, a white turtleneck shirt with chevron detailing on the collar, and red plaid trousers. But instead of the plain black shoes, he had oversized red boots with thick white soles, laced up to the top.

The plain-looking student had a stunned expression on his face upon seeing a complete stranger offering help to him while others were passing by them as if nothing happened. Throughout the entire time, Ren never wiped the small and gentle smile he had on his face while looking at the green-haired, only causing his curiosity to grow.

"Looks like you could use a hand." Ren offered his hand.

"A-Ah, thank you!" The boy took Ren's hand, standing up on his feet.

"No problem."

"Oh no, my uniform's all soaked...! Everyone's going to laugh at me, and on my first day too..." The green-haired gasped upon seeing his uniform before looking back at Ren, "Sorry, I shouldn't bother you with my problems."

He grabbed his drenched bag from the road, smiling shyly at the dark-haired in the process.

"Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it."

Before Ren could even open his mouth to say something, the green-haired bowed to him before dashing away with the wet bag on his soaked head and almost tripping on his feet again, causing Ren to sweatdrop. With a small smile of his own, he returned back to where he left that girl standing alone only to see that her eyes grew wide in horror and almost turned pale, catching his attention. Before them stood the figure of a girl, standing still without making any movements at all whatsoever. Her face wasn't clear since it was covered by her umbrella, but it was clearly a girl since she was wearing the female Shujin uniform-- her hands moved the umbrella away from her face making her features clear.

She had thin dark brown hair tied in small ribbons by the sides of her face, with the back cut short, and had black eyes. She also wore a pair of half-rimmed glasses with oval-shaped lenses, and her skin was pale. The look she had in her eyes was demonic and piercing. She eyed the ash blonde-haired deadly as if she was preparing herself to kill her. Ren noticed that too and felt shivers running down his spine from the girl's gaze alone only. That was when a car drove nearer to the spot revealing its driver as the jersey-wearing teacher from Shujin making the brown-haired walk away.

"Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You're gonna be late." The teacher said.

"Um, sure. Thank you." The girl with pigtails rode the car.

"Do you need a lift too?" The teacher asked Ren.

"Nah!" Ren kindly declined the offer with a smile and a small wave.

"You sure? Well then..." The teacher paused his sentence.

The girl with pigtails put the seatbelt on and had a sad face for a reason before the window closed as if she was silently asking for someone's help--anyone's. The car drove away, leaving Ren all behind and that was when a blonde vulgar boy ran toward the spot before stopping once he saw that the car already drove into the distance.

"Dammit... screw that pervy teacher." A vulgar boy growled.

He had short spiky blond hair and dark brown eyes. He wore his Shujin's uniform a bit modified. It consisted of the standard black blazer, unbuttoned to reveal a yellow t-shirt with a comic style star symbol, and the word "ZOMG!" He had plaid trousers rolled up to reveal his ankles. His pants had black suspenders that hung down instead of being worn on his shoulders. He had a white belt. His white sneakers had a rising sun flag motif.

"...Pervy teacher?" Ren repeated.

"...What do you want? You plannin' on rantin' me out to Kamoshida?" The vulgar boy asked suspiciously.

"Kamoshida? What do you mean?"

"Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida. He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is--the king of a castle? Don't you agree?"

".........?"

"What's with you? You ain't being very talkative. You don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You're from Shujin, right?"

"You mean Shujin Academy?"

"What...? No other high school's got a uniform like this." The vulgar boy scratched his head before looking at Ren's uniform, "A second-year, huh... we're in the same grade then. Never seen you before though. What class are you in?"

"I don't know yet." Ren replied.

"You don't know? Oh! Are you the new transfer student?"

"Yeah."

"Then no wonder you don't know him." The vulgar boy cooed, leaning close to Ren's face, "So you're the guy, eh?"

"Um, **'the guy'**?"

"This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late." The vulgar boy took a few steps forward.

Then all of a sudden, their surroundings flashed and were colored with a deep shade of purple for a quick moment.

"Ngh...?!" Both of the boys held their heads.

"Uuugh, my head hurts... dammit... I wanna go home..." The vulgar boy whined.

Both the boys walked into a narrow alleyway after the blonde-haired decided to continue his way and show the new kid a shortcut. The raven-haired stepped into a puddle of water, the liquid splashed in a slow-motion as it returned back to its previous state, making Ren look behind him as he got the feeling that something wasn't right.

"Wha--?!" The vulgar boy's voice caught Ren's attention.

The dark-haired quickly sprinted toward where the scream came from, wondering what could've possibly happened... did something occur to the vulgar boy? When he ran out of the alley, he saw the other boy looking at something with wide eyes, dropped jaw, and trembling voice. When Ren looked in the direction the vulgar boy was looking at, he understood the reason behind his reaction... for what stood before them wasn't Shujin Academy anymore, but a castle instead.

"What...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to end the first chapter here!
> 
> Welp, I've already watched full playthroughs of Royal in both Japanese and English since it came out a week earlier in Australia, lucky bastards. XD
> 
> So no spoilers for me~
> 
> I hope you'll be excited about future updates and how this story will turn out.
> 
> Either a great success or a great fail...
> 
> Published on: Wed/Apr 1/2020


	6. Chapter 02

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rebellious soul of the Trickster finally arose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowzers... I'm speechless guys... I couldn't believe how much love and support the first chapter had! That's why it's my pleasure to present to you the second chapter! Please enjoy! 😁😄

What the two boys were seeing was just... indescribable. How the hell there was a castle standing in front of them? Where was the school? One moment they were walking in the alleyway to head there, and the next, well... they were seeing _that_! Ren's dark grey eyes were widened fully beyond the glassy lenses of his black-framed glasses as he was scanning his surroundings in utter shock and disbelief. Normally, there'd be a logical explanation for every abnormal activity occurring but then again, what was normal exactly in what the two boys were witnessing that instant? And how'd anyone explain the weird purple hue the sky gave? The dark-haired rubbed his eyes after taking his glasses to make sure that it wasn't his mind playing any tricks on him, and yet nothing changed even after doing so. There wasn't anything odd in the curry he had that morning, after all.

  
"We didn't come the wrong way though..." The vulgar boy turned behind him, "Yeah, it should be right..."

"What's going on here?" Ren asked.

"Guess we'll just have to go and ask." The vulgar boy said before walking inside towards the castle.

"B-But..." Ren followed him.

Sweatdropping at the blondie's rash behavior, Ren placed a finger on his forehead after seeing that there was no point in arguing with him anymore, thus he found himself obligated to go with him. But what that they saw in the interior of that castle was nothing less confusing or weird from the exterior... for inside they looked around them with wide eyes while standing on a checkered floor, heavily resembling a chessboard. A huge statue made of pure gold stood proudly in the middle of the floor that resembled a man the two boys couldn't quite distinguish its features--two staircases from the left and right connected as a small balcony in the middle with a rather humongous door on that said balcony. A fancy chandelier made of pure crystal hung above their heads, minus the stone pillars that lined up in two parallel lines. That was a legitimate castle alright.

"Th-That's weird... where's the school...?" The vulgar boy looked around the main lobby.

"Did we make a wrong turn or something?" Ren asked.

"N-No! This has to be it! I mean, it... should be..."

"Well, apparently it's not."

"Out of service? Where'd we end up? The sign was for the school, right?" The vulgar boy pulled his phone out.

"Actually yeah. It was..."

"Right?! You saw it too!"

".........!"

The sound of metal clunking and dragging its way on the floor caused Ren's ears to perk up as he had an alerted expression on his face. He among everyone was able to recognize such a voice... since it was the same as the chains--but what approached them was an armored figure that carried a large sword and shield in hand.

"Geez, you freaked me out... who're you? You a student?" The vulgar boy asked.

"Seriously? A student?" Ren gave himself a facepalm at the guy's stupidity.

"Man, your costume's impressive... is that armor real?" The vulgar boy asked, "C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'."

After that sentence, another armored figure approached next to the first one, surrounding the two teenagers tight to one another. Cold sweats rolled down their foreheads as their eyes widened in both shock and disbelief... what was going on exactly?

"...H-Hey, what's goin' on?" The vulgar boy freaked out.

"We're surrounded! That's what's going on!" Ren replied.

"...This shit's real."

Not giving Ren the chance to comment on that, one of the two armored figures approached the blonde-haired, causing him to take a few steps backward until his back bumped into Ren's.

"C-Calm down! Time out, man!"

Despite the blonde-haired boy nearly freaking out, the other figure began walking toward him as well, raising so many red flags.

"We gotta run!" The vulgar boy said.

".........!" Even though he wanted to, Ren's limbs felt stiff and wouldn't move.

_"No...! I can't... move..."_

"Stop standin' around and run!"

However, before the two could run away, two more of those armored figures approached them and trapped them into a tight circle for real that time.

"Ugh, what's with these guys?!" The vulgar boy groaned.

One of the armored figures tackled the vulgar boy down on the floor by hitting his back with its shield powerfully. Ren shut his eyes upon almost hearing the sound of the boy's bones cracking and shattering, panic rising through his chest.

"Hey!" Ren ran toward him.

"Oww... y-you're gonna break my bones, dammit! The hell you think you're-- Aagh!" The vulgar boy's words were cut off.

After that, one of the armored figures reached Ren from behind, delivering a strong hit on his head with its shield. He cried out from the pain as his body slowly fell unconscious to the floor, creating a loud thud while laying down completely moveless and vulnerable.

"Take them away!" A guard's voice ordered.

That was the last thing Ren could ever hear before his surroundings were swallowed by complete darkness... yes, he welcomed slumber with open arms.

*******

_"Wake up!"_

_"Hey, dude, ya hear me? Wake up!"_

Fluttering his dark grey eyes open, the raven-haired boy held his aching head in pain, feeling that his surroundings were hazy and unclear around him. There was the blurry image of blonde hair along with the numb feeling of something shaking him gently to snap out of it. Slowly, he sat on the wooden bed he was lying on, looking around him to see that he and the blonde boy were thrown in a cell... again, a scene he was no stranger to since the day of his arrest. Then, everything came back to him before he was knocked out--he remembered how the guard hit his head strongly with an iron shield, he remembered the pain he felt, he remembered how cold and hard the floor was.

"You all right? You scared the shit outta me..." The vulgar boy backed away after waking Ren up.

"I-I'm fine, you?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, more or less."

The raven-haired tried to stand up on his feet, only to feel the heaviness of his body, thus losing his balance and leaning on the wall next to him. His head throbbed again, but that time pain rushed through his bones and down to his spine and legs, causing the vulgar boy to try and reach out for him only for the former to brush it off with a weak smile of his to reassure he was fine.

"Looks like this ain't no dream... ugh, what's goin' on?!" The vulgar boy looked around him.

Unable to control his rage anymore, the blonde-haired ran toward the cell door before banging it with all of his might. He needed answers, and he needed them now!

"Let us outta here! I know there's someone out there!"

"That's not going to get us out of here, you know." Ren spoke coolly.

"Dammit, where are we?! Is this some kinda TV set...?" The vulgar boy asked angrily.

What made the two of them almost jump from their spots was the sound of loud screams cutting right through their ears, thus sending shivers down their spines. It seemed like the owner of it was experiencing an unbearable pain that no one can even imagine at all... and to make matters worse, those screams seemed really close to where the teens were. The voice pierced through the boys' ears, making their eyes wide in horror as Ren could feel his skin growing pale and his heart about to leap out of his chest. He cleared his throat nervously as a cold sweat rolled down his face because he was truly scared of what was going on there. What in the world was going on in that godforsaken place?

"Th-The hell was that just now...?" The vulgar boy asked shockingly while reaching the bars of the cell's door.

Yet, more screams could be heard which were louder and crueler than those before them.

"Whoa... whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... you're shittin' me, right...?"

"Hm? You hear that?" Ren asked.

With that said, a troop of armored guards approached the cell as one of them, standing right outside of the cell's door. Ren's hands gripped tighter through the bars at the scene of their arrival, his hands began shaking ever so slightly out of fear from what could happen to them next. Would they torture them? Kill them? He tried to conceal his trembling limbs by grabbing his wrist tightly while shutting his eyes close, mentally chanting to himself for it to stop.

"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon. Your charge is **'unlawful entry'**. Thus, you will be sentenced to death."

"Say what?!" The vulgar boy shouted.

"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle." A familiar voice spoke as yet another figure approached the boys.

"Huh? Wait... is that you, Kamoshida?" The vulgar boy gasped.

"Kamoshida?" Ren questioned while looking at the blondie.

Recalling where he heard that name or saw that face before, he remembered that he was the same jersey-wearing teacher from Shujin whom he spotted in the car with the platinum blonde-haired girl, but something about his appearance was... off and wrong on so many levels. His eyes were golden and he wore a gold crown, red heart printed cape, and pink underwear, leaving his torso and hairy legs exposed.

  
"I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto. Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh? And you brought a friend this time... because you can't do anything for yourself." Kamoshida smirked darkly.

"This ain't funny, you asshole!" The vulgar boy named **'Sakamoto'** growled.

"........!" Ren slightly widened his eyes.

"Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don't understand the position you're in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you also committed the crime of insulting me--the king. The punishment for that is death. I wonder how your little friend Hayashi will react to your death as well."

"Leave Mikki out of this, you son of a bitch!"

"Mikki...?" Ren mumbled.

"It's time for an execution! Take him out!" Kamoshida ordered.

"S-Stop it...!" Sakamoto backed away while the guards unlocked the door and walked into the cell.

"...Goddamit...!" Sakamoto wheezed.

Ren backed a few steps back in a desperate attempt to remain calm, but in reality, he was scared to bones since his wide eyes were darting left and right--his pale skin tone spoke otherwise too. A cold sweat rolled down his face and could feel his legs shivering quietly... it was the first time in his life he felt so scared like that.

"Hragh!" Sakamoto ran forward, hitting one of the guards and knocking it down, "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here!"

"Look out!" Ren warned.

Before Sakamoto could even blink his eye, one of the guards smacked him powerfully with its shield directly on his abdomen, thus knocking him down on the cold, hard floor once more.

"Nnngh... owww..." Sakamoto hissed in pain while kneeling down.

"Hey!" Ren tried to reach him, but only to get blocked by two guards.

"Just go! Get outta here...! These guys are serious!"

"Oh? Running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are." Kamoshida smirked slyly at the raven-haired.

"He ain't a friend..." Sakamoto coughed, "C'mon! Hurry up and go!"

"........!" Ren's expression grew in horror.

_"Why? Why can't I move?! I have to help him, or else...!"_

"What's the matter? Too scared to run away? Hmph, pathetic scum isn't worth my time... I'll focus on this one's execution..." Kamoshida smiled devilishly.

_"No...! Stop!"_

"Take this!" Kamoshida grinned before punching Sakamoto in the face, "Lowly scum! Useless pest!" He kept punching Sakamoto non-stop until he fell to the ground.

_"Stop...!"_ Ren widened his eyes.

"...Hmph. Where'd your energy from earlier go?" Kamoshida spat on the boy's face before one of the guards grabbed him by his head and threw him aside.

_"No... I can't let it be like that again... I_ **_won't_ ** _let it be the same!"_

"A peasant like you isn't worth beating. I'll have you killed right now."

"Stop it!" Ren shouted.

"Hm...?" Kamoshida turned at him, "What...? Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am."

Kamoshida leaned close at Ren's face who was glaring at him deadly; the latter's eyes had an intense and fiery gaze in them as if he was staring deep into that _monster's_ soul. He had enough from seeing Sakamoto getting beaten up and wasn't going to sit there and allow the same scenario as before to take place in front of his eyes... no, not anymore!

"That look in your eyes irritates me!" Komashida kicked Ren towards the wall.

"Ngh..." Ren struggled to lift his face up.

"Hold him there... after the peasant, it's his turn to die."

"No!" Ren tried reaching him, but two guards pinned him to the wall.

"Poor Hayashi. I can hear her crying over the news of your death already." Kamoshida grinned darkly while slowly walking toward the blondie.

"No... I don't wanna die!" Sakamoto pleaded in despair.

"Hahaha!"

_"I must save him..."_

_"I must save him!"_

_"If I don't do anything, he'll die..."_

_"I can't let him die!"_

With those thoughts in Ren's mind, a faint light caught his attention which caused him to lift his face up to spot a blue butterfly roaming around him, leaving a trail of sparkles as it flew.

_**"This is truly an unjust game... your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may be yet a possibility open to you..."** _

With that, it vanished as fast as it appeared.

**_"What's the matter...? Are you simply going to watch?"_** A mysterious voice rang inside Ren's head.

**_"Are you forsaking him to save yourself?"_ **

**_"Death awaits him if you do nothing."_ **

**_"Was your previous decision a mistake then?"_ **

"No, it wasn't..."

A guard lifted Sakamoto by his neck ready to draw its sword on him to instantly kill him, while the raven-haired started struggling from the two guards' grip.

**_"Very well...I have heeded your resolve."_ **

"Aagh...!" Ren screamed loudly as a sharp and unbearable pain attacked his head, sweat began rolling down his face.

**_"Vow to me."_ **

" ** _I am thou, thou art I..."_**

**_"Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!"_ **

"Aaah...!"

**_"Call upon my name, and release thy rage!"_ **

"AAAAAHHHH!"

**_"Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!"_ **

After the last sentence, Ren lifted his face to show his deep dark grey eyes that were flaming with anger, rage, and rebellion as if he turned into a completely different person and threw the old one away.

"Execute him!" Kamoshida commanded while pointing at Sakamoto.

"That's enough!" Ren shouted.

"What was that...?"

Kamoshida had a surprised look on his face due to that sudden and unexpected call while looking back at the raven-haired as the guard let go of Sakamoto's neck in the process, allowing him to fall on the ground.

"You desire to be killed that much...? Fine!" Kamoshida pointed his head at the boy.

The guard who was standing on Ren's left his face with its shield, thus knocking his glasses down with a powerful and mighty punch on his face, causing his face to turn sideways as it hit the wall behind him. Ren got pinned again on the wall, lowering his face down half passed out from the strong impact of the hit and onto the brick wall as well. Sakamoto tried to stand up on his feet again to help that new kid in any way since he was going to get killed, but fell down on the floor... he was too _goddamn_ weak to do anything. Kamoshida pointed at the raven-haired in a sign of executing him as a third guard drew its sword up, joy and arousal filled the man since he was about to get rid of one hell of an annoying piece of trash forever.

".......!" Suddenly Ren opened his eyes fully.

  
A massively strong wave of wind blew up, knocking the guard who was about to kill him backward and causing him to roll on the ground a few times. Kamoshida opened his eyes again after the wind settled down with a cold sweat rolling on his face with eyes that were slightly upon... just what happened now? What the hell did that kid do? As an answer, lifted his face before he ran his fingers on it to sense a black and white birdlike domino mask on his face, much to his shock and confusion.

He grabbed the anonymous mask by his two hands, struggling to remove it from his face but instead, it got ripped off entirely, thus causing dark and crimson blood to drip all over his face with a soul-crushing scream. The dark-haired boy stared at them with his blood-stained face while grinning widely and his now-golden eyes, he felt so _damn_ good at that moment and was felt with excitement and anger.

  
"Come, Arsène!" Ren called loudly.

Blue flames engulfed his face completely that took the form of a demonic face as an eerie laugh burst out loudly. The flames covered Ren's face completely, causing Kamoshida to shriek and run away in fear, but soon the blue flames vanished from his body who was smiling darkly--the flames were connected to him with metallic chains before turning to an elegant-looking demonic figure that donned a very tall top hat, a long-horned mask for its face as it appeared to not have a head, a cropped red eighteenth-century-esque suit worn open with the collar popped, stitched heart designs on the shoulders, a white ruffle tie, and a black, tailed corset running down its torso. Large, black, feathery wings flapped from the small of its back and had claws, red coverings on its legs resembling pants, and boots with blade-like heels. The boy's clothes were also entirely changed from his standard Shujin uniform to a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, black jogger-style pants, brown-black winkle-pickers, and a pair of red gloves.

  
Ren lifted his arms, which caused the demonic figure to flap its wings, creating another strong wave of wind that blew all the guards away and Kamoshida crawling away cowardly once again.

"Wh-What the...?!" Sakamoto gasped in shock and disbelief.

"I am the pillager of twilight-- **'Arsène'**!" The figure spoke while floating behind Ren's back.

"What the...?" Sakamoto trailed.

**_"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis."_ **

"Give me..." Ren trailed before screaming, "...your power!"

**_"Hmph, very well..."_ **

"Who the hell are you...?! Guards! Start by killing that one!" Kamoshida ordered his guards before they went berserk and transformed into demonic monsters.

"You'll learn the true strength of my men!" Kamoshida grinned psychopathically.

"I'll get back what I lost!" Ren shouted these words.

With that said, Arsène flapped his wings, causing a strong blue and fiery wind to blow off that turned all the guards into a reddish-black aura while vanishing in the air. Kamoshida yelped while closing his eyes as a chain of silver keys fell from him onto the ground, Ren looking at him with the widest and darkest grin ever on his face as his eyes showed no sign of kindness anymore.

"What..." Sakamoto trailed shockingly.

Arsène vanished into blue flames around Ren's face and turned back into the black and white birdlike domino mask he once ripped from his face.

"Hm?" Ren looked at himself in a questioning matter, noticing the change in his clothes.

"What was that just now...?" Sakamoto trailed.

"You little...!" Kamoshida groaned angrily while walking towards the raven-haired.

"Aagh!" Kamoshida screamed while being pushed on the ground by Sakamoto.

"You like that, you son of a bitch?!"

"The key! Lock the cell!" Ren called.

"Y-You mean this?!" Sakamoto looked at the chain of silver keys laying on the ground.

Grabbing the keys, both the boys hurriedly ran out of the cell before the blonde-haired locked the cell from the outside, the two sighing in relief in the process.

"Okay, it's locked!" Sakamoto stated.

"Damn you!" Kamoshida yelled.

"Hey...! What was that just now?! And... your clothes...!"

"That power..." Ren mumbled to himself while staring at his gloved palm.

After that, a wave of blue flames covered Ren's body completely and vanished after a few seconds to reveal his normal self once more.

"Whoa, it went back to normal...?!" Sakamoto gasped.

"What in the...?"

"Waaaaah!" Sakamoto yelped at the sound of Kamoshida hitting the cell.

"You bastards!" Kamoshida screamed.

"God, this is effin' nuts! Anyways, let's scram! You lead the way!"

"Let's go!"

"Hrah...!" Sakamoto threw the keys away before following the raven-haired.

"Goddamn thieves...! After them! Don't let them escape!" Kamoshida ordered loudly.

The two boys started running away in the depths of the underground prison they were put in that looked like an endless maze of crossroads. They jumped across broken bridges to avoid falling into the water that's running beneath them and hid whenever they beard troops looking for them. Yet, many teenagers have held prisoners in cages and cells screaming for help. They found long stairs that lead upwards and took it, only to find themselves still in prison.

Running towards the end of the path they were on which had a bridge lifted upwards, they came across a dead end.

"Another dead end...?" Ren stopped his tracks.

"Dammit! How the hell're we supposed to get outta here?!"

"...Hey, you there. Blondie! Frizzy Hair! Look over here!" An unknown voice called.

Both of the boys turned to the source of the voice to see a black cat with blue eyes and a white muzzle, paws, and tail tip and wore a yellow collar.

  
"What is this thing?!" Sakamoto gasped.

"You're not soldiers of this castle, right? Get me out of here! Look, the key's right there!" The strange creature spoke.

"We're trying to get the hell out of here...! I mean, you obviously look like an enemy too!"

"Seriously...?" Ren trailed while sweatdropping.

"I'm locked up here, so how can I be your enemy?! Help me out!"

"...A cat?" Ren asked.

"I am NOT a cat! Say that again and I'll make you regret it!" The strange creature said.

Then, all of them got alerted upon hearing the voice of troops approaching... those bastards sure did find them rather quickly. Ugh, can that nightmare get any worse than it already was?!

"They're catchin' up already...!" Sakamoto looked at his phone, "Shit, there's still no service. Ain't there any way to contact someone outside?! How the hell do we get out...?!"

"Hey, you two! Do you want to know where the exit is? Let me out and I'll take you there. You don't want to get caught and executed, right?" The strange creature offered his help.

"This thing sounds like it's all talk..." Sakamoto trailed.

"If you guys think you can get out on your own, then be my guest!"

"Whadda we do...? Are you seriously not messin' with us?!"

"If you don't hurry, they'll catch you."

"All right." Ren walked to where the keys were hanging next to the cell's door.

"Aren't you agreeing a little too easily? What is that?!" Sakamoto gasped.

"Ahhhh... freedom tastes so great!" The strange creature hopped out of the cell while stretching his arms.

"It's soft... and alive." Suddenly, Ren rubbed its head and face.

"K-Knock it off! If you touch me there..." The strange creature freaked out comically before purring.

  
"L-Let me touch the monster cat, too!" Sakamoto said, a little flustered and jealous.

  
"Don't call me a cat! I am Morgana!"

"Shuddup and hurry it up! You wanna be locked up again?!" Sakamoto threatened.

"A-All right, sheesh! Follow me and stay quiet!" Morgana said before running away and followed by the two.

********

**_\-------Meanwhile: Shujin Academy------_ **

Ms. Kawakami sat in the faculty office doing paperwork before she looked at the clock hanging on the wall worriedly, a frown was planted on her lips as she watched the hour hands ticking. Panic began rising in her chest as she bit her thumb the more she thought about how Ren still didn't show up to school until now. What was happening? Did something occur to the boy? Did he get sick all of a sudden? If that was the case, then Sojiro would've called and informed the faculty. Had he gotten into an accident on his way? She couldn't rule out that possibility since a lot of them made the headlines recently... then again, she would've immediately known from the news online. Was it a normal accident then. She shook her head to dismiss all of those negative thoughts of her mind as she adjusted herself on the chair while massaging her temples.

"...It's the fourth period already. Sakura-San said that Amamiya-Kun left the house this morning. Should I contact the police...? No, that'll just be more of a hassle..." Ms. Kawakami talked to herself before looking down, "What did I do to deserve this...?"

*******

**_\------The Castle------_ **

All the three ran back toward the bridge in the underground dungeon with Morgana telling Ren to lower the jaw of Kamoshida's statue that stood next to it before running across it to the other side safely. A sudden wave of relief overwhelmed the two boys while following the monster cat that led the way ahead--they were truly going to escape from that place! They were going to return back and away from all that madness! So many crazy and unbelievable things happened to them from the moment they set foot into the castle, but it finally was going to be over!

Or that was what they thought...

"A-Aah! Shit... shit, it's them!"

Sakamoto cried out while falling on the ground as Ren's clothes changed to that weird attire again along with the mask. When they were making their way onto the bridge and away from everything, a troupe of guards spawned out of nowhere and appeared before them, thus blocking their way from proceeding any further.

"Tch... you amateur! Stay still!" Morgana jumped forward, "Hey, you! You could fight, right?! Let's go! Come...! Zorro!"

With that said, a wave of blue flames surrounded the black cat and took the shape of an armored figure, wearing a black cloak, a belt around its waist with a large Z clip in the middle, and long leather black boots. The figure carried a sword in hand, creating a Z slash in the air.

  
"Y-You got one of those things too?" Sakamoto yelped as one of the monsters went berserk.

"Hmph, we will promptly shut them up!"

"Don't mind if I do." Ren smirked while adjusting his red gloves.

"Damn Shadows... they've taken up intercept positions! It means they're holding nothing back and serious to kill us! I'll back you up, so fight like your life depends on it! Let's go!"

"Go down!" Ren cast a curse spell.

"Hmph, I knew you were an amateur. This is how you fight Let's go, Zorro!"

Morgana cast a wind spell, finishing the first monster, then Ren struck the foe with his knives and ended the other one, thus clearing the path ahead of them.

"Not bad. Your Persona's pretty powerful." Morgana told the raven-haired.

"Thanks, you're pretty good yourself."

"Persona...? Y'mean that thing that came outta you guys all dramatic-like?" Sakamoto trailed.

"Yes. You saw Frizzy Hair here ripped off his mask when he summoned it, right? Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that..."

At that moment Ren's clothes went back to his usual uniform.

"This again...?" Ren asked himself.

"Huh...? He turned back to normal..." Sakamoto said.

"Hm, it looks like you don't have full control over your power yet. The transformation shouldn't normally dissolve like that. After all--"

"Rrgh, that's enough! This crap doesn't make any sense!"

"Can't you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie?!"

"Don't call me Blondie! My name's Ryuji..."

"Sigh..." Ren sighed while shaking his head hopelessly.

"Actually, there's no time for me to lecture you! You wanna escape this place in one piece, right? Let's go! Come on, we should hurry. It's not much further to the exit." Morgana stated before running away.

Guiding the way for the two teens and hiding in the shadows away from the enemies, it didn't take long for Morgana to finally navigate them through a safe route that was empty from all those monsters. And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the cat pointed for them to follow him to a room in the depths of the castle that was filled with closed lockers lined up in every corner.

"We're here!" Morgana exclaimed.

"Finally! We're saved...!" Ryuji said before rushing to the door, "Nnh...?! ...It's not openin'! D'you trick us, you jerk?!"

"Don't jump to conclusions! Over here!" Morgana said before running to the left.

"H-Hey, wait!" Ren ran behind him.

"Where are we supposed to get out from here?! There aren't even any windows!" Ryuji asked angrily.

"Ugh, amateur..." Morgana mumbled, "This is the most basic of basics."

"A ventilation shaft, right?" Ren spoke.

"That's right! As I thought, you're a natural at this. It leads all the way outside."

"I see..." Ryuji trailed, "Then we just gotta get that metallic mesh off!"

"Pretty much, yeah." Ren nodded.

"And a one, and a--" Ryuji counted while jumping up to take the mesh off.

"Be careful, or else you'll---" Ren's words were cut off.

"Whoa...!" Ryuji lost his balance and fell on the floor powerfully.

"...fall."

"Oww... crap! The enemy didn't hear us, did they?" Ryuji whispered after he got up.

"I'm pretty sure the whole country of Japan heard that." Ren mocked.

"Seriously, we're finally gettin' outta here...!" Ryuji said happily.

"You should wait on celebrating until you actually get out. Now, get going." Morgana urged them.

"But... what about you?" Ren asked the cat.

"There's something that I still have to do. We're going our separate ways."

"Thanks. Thanks a lot."

"Heh. You've got manners. Be careful on your way."

After exchanging goodbye with that one iconic yet annoying cat, both Ryuji and Ren jumped on top of the lockers and crawled inside the shaft to get outside that godforsaken place once and for all.

"These two seem useful... especially the Frizzy Haired one, if my judgment's right..." Morgana mumbled to himself.

*******

**_\------The Real World------_ **

The two boys returned safely and in one piece to the streets of the city, but unexpectedly both of them fell on the ground beneath them harshly on their faces in the alleyway they took earlier that morning. Pain rushed through their bodies as they tried to get up on their knees, both of them rubbed their aching heads while grunting under their breaths as they walked out of the alley, and looking around them, they noticed that they weren't in the castle anymore.

"Ow!" Ren growled.

"Did we make it...?" Ryuji asked.

"Hold on..." Ren pulled out his phone.

**_"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."_** A navigation voice said.

"Huh? Returned...?" Ryuji dumbfounded, "...Does that mean we got away?"

"I wonder..." Ren looked at his phone.

"I dunno what to think anymore..." Ryuji trailed, "What was all that anyway...? That castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat! The hell's goin' on?!"

"What's with the yelling? Are you students of Shujin? Cutting classes, are we?" An aggressive officer reached the two.

"Huh? No! We were tryin' to get to school, and we ended up at this weird castle!"

"Idiot..." Ren facepalmed himself.

"...What? Hand over your bag. You better not be doing any drugs."

"Why would you think that?!"

"Are you his friend?" A timid officer asked the raven-haired.

"F-Friend...?!" Ren stuttered, "Something like that."

"Then you should go to school. Take him with you." The timid officer said calmly.

"Like I'm tryin' to say...! I don't know what's goin' on either!"

"We passed by Shujin on our way here. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it. If you spout any more nonsense, I'll contact your school. Is that what you want?!" The aggressive officer threatened.

"C'mon, say somethin'!" Ryuji whispered to the raven-haired.

"Let's just get going."

"Uh, that's not what I meant..."

"See ya." Ren waved before walking away.

"W-Wait a sec! Is that guy for real...?" Ryuji widened his eyes, "...Fine, I'm goin'!"

*******

**_\-------Meanwhile------_ **

"A Minister of Transport announcing his resignation... things are going as planned..."

A bald and old man who wore a pair of glasses and a formal suit chuckled to himself darkly after he read the latest news article online. His lips curved upward as the sliest smirk was planted on his features, a true sign of satisfaction and accomplishment--it was as if he just succeeded in performing whatever scheme he had on his mind. Pure evil and malice dripped from every inch of his face and he didn't even bother himself to hide them at all but on the contrary, he seemed proud of them.

  
"Sae Niijima... that reminds me..." He sighed deeply, "...Better to leave it be for now."

*******

**_\------Shujin's Gate------_ **

At the school's gate, both of the boys gasped in shock to see that Shujin returned to its old and normal self instead of that humongous castle. They rubbed their eyes as they glanced at one another and back into the school building once more to make sure that they weren't imaging things again, except they didn't. The true and genuine Shujin Academy stood right before their eyes, thus there was no way of mistaking it at all... it wasn't a mere illusion or optical game by any kind.

"Is this for real...? I'm sure we came the same way... what's goin' on here...?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you. We received a call from the police." A counselor walked out of the school's entrance, talking in a deadly tone.

"That damn cop snitched on us after all!" Ryuji groaned under his breath.

"It's rare not to see you alone. Where were you roaming around until this time?"

"Uhh... a ca-- a castle?"

"So, you have no intention of giving an honest answer?"

"What's this about a **'castle'?** " A familiar voice asked.

It was none other than Kamoshida who walked into the scene, seemingly looking like a normal human being once more--the same appearance Ren saw that morning.

"Kamoshida?!" Ryuji gasped.

"You seem so carefree, Sakamoto. Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team." Kamoshida said casually.

"Shuddup! It's your fault that--"

"How dare you speak that way to Mr. Kamoshida!" The counselor scolded the blondie violently, "...There's not much leeway left for you, you know?"

"He's the one who provoked me!"

"Provoked you...?" Ren asked.

"Do you really want to be expelled?! In any case, you'll have to explain yourself! Follow me!"

"What? This is bullshit!"

"Come now, I should have been more considerate, too. Let's just say that we were both to blame." Kamoshida told the counselor.

"Well, if you say so..." The counselor trailed before looking back at Ryuji, "Still, you're coming with me. It's undeniable that you're extremely late."

"Fine..."

"By the way... you're that new transfer student, correct? Ren Amamiya..." Kamoshida asked the raven-haired.

".........."

The counselor walked into the school building, followed by Ryuji who was walking the stairs up while muttering some incomprehensible curses under his breath. He paused mid-way to glare at Kamoshida deadly before he walked into the building, hoping that he wouldn't put that new kid in his mind as his next victim.

"...Have we met somewhere?" Kamoshida asked.

"This morning. I saw a girl in your car."

"That's right... I remember now." Kamoshida recalled, "...Well, I'll overlook this just for today. I'm sure you've heard from the principal, but cause any trouble and you'll be expelled. Understand?"

"Can you overlook more maybe?"

"Is that supposed to be a joke? I'm not laughing."

"Figures..."

"At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I'm sure Ms. Kawakami's tired of waiting. Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life." Kamoshida said before walking into the building.

"Yeah... new school life..." Ren mumbled quietly before sighing deeply.

The raven-haired walked into the school's building to make his way toward the stairs to the second floor to head to the faculty office. And all the way, Ren never stopped hearing gossips and murmurs among the students who were glancing at him while whispering to one another, causing him to knit his eyebrows in suspicion for their odd behavior. Some of them were even walking away as if they were terrified of him for one reason or another... was something going on in that school? Finally, when he reached the faculty office, he saw his teacher Ms. Kawakami sitting at a table which caused guilt to rise in his chest since he knew that he must've made her worried sick about him; and that was inexcusable.

"Unbelievable... being over half a day late on your first day...? Can you explain yourself?" Ms. Kawakami had a genuinely worried look in her eyes.

"Well, the truth is... I got lost."

"How could you be lost for this long? It's almost lunchtime. Well, it's probably true that you're not used to the area yet... but you're still way too late. Will you pull yourself together? You were given a fair warning yesterday. More importantly... I heard that you were caught along with that Sakamoto-Kun?"

"Wait, **'that'** Sakamoto...?"

"Don't get involved with him, okay? He's nothing but trouble. He wasn't like that when he was devoting his time to track and field though..."

"........."

"...Anyway. Break's almost over. Classes will end after the fifth period today because of the subway accident. I'll have you introduce yourself when class resumes. Follow me." The teacher got up from the chair and exited the office, "By the way, when you introduce yourself... be serious about it even if you're lying to the class, okay? Do NOT say anything unnecessary."

"Yes, ma'am..."

"...You think that's him?" A sharp-eared female student asked her friend after they crossed paths with them.

"Huh? The one in the rumors...?" A short-haired female student questioned.

*******

**_\-------Class 2_** - ** _D------_**

Inside the class, Ren stood next to his teacher in front of the whole class that never stopped murmuring and chattering among each other at his sudden and late presence. He tried his best to relax his stiff body and act naturally despite the noises all the students were making, yet all the smacks he got from the armored guards in that castle were still catching up to him even then. But he had no choice but to ignore the pain and give the friendliest and most approachable aura he could.

"Being super late on his first day? He really is insane..."

"He looks normal though..."

"But he might slug us if we look him in the eye..."

"Settle down." Ms. Kawakami spoke up, "...Well, I'd like to introduce a transfer student: Ren Amamiya. Today, we... had him attend from the afternoon on since he wasn't feeling well. All right, please say something to the class."

"I'm Ren Amamiya. Nice to meet you all, and I hope that I'll spend a fun year with you."

The raven-haired said calmly while pulling a soft smile on his lips, but something about his smile was not right... It wasn't a true and an honest smile at all.

It was a guarded and cautious smile.

"He seems quiet... but I bet when he loses it..."

"I mean, he was arrested for assault, right...?"

"........!" Ren widened his eyes at the last statement.

How did they--

"...Uhh, so..." Ms. Kawakami trailed, "Your seat will be... hmm... over there. The one that's open. Sorry, but can the people nearby share your textbooks with him for today?"

"This sucks..."

"........." A well-behaved student groaned under his breath.

He had spiky blue-tinted black hair and a relatively average face filled with multiple injuries and a bandage, wearing Shujin Academy's standard winter uniform with the shirt untucked, the suspenders off his shoulders, and without the blazer. He also had white tennis shoes with green accents.

  
While Ren was walking to his assigned empty seat, he kept hearing the class murmuring and whispering about him, yet he decided to just shrug it off. How in the world did they know about his criminal record? No soul was supposed to know besides very few from the faculty, so how did the word spread out?! A cold sweat rolled down his eyes at those thoughts as he darted his eyes left and right... he felt like he was prey in the lion's den awaiting to get fed on. He stopped his tracks when he saw the same platinum blonde-haired girl with the big pigtails who he saw earlier that day near the station that morning in Kamoshida's car.

"...Lies." The flashy female student looked outside the window, "You were at the station."

"Nice to meet you, Takamaki-San." Ren placed his bag down.

"...Did you catch that? Do those two know each other?"

"Does that mean he hit on her before transferring here?"

"That means she's cheating on him with Mr. Kamoshida."

"Then again, this is Takamaki-San we're talking about..."

"For real. That side of the room is totally awful."

"Lame." A girl's voice came from behind Ren.

"Hm?" Ren turned behind him.

He widened his eyes upon seeing the same short dark brown-haired girl with the oval glasses who was staring at the ash blonde-haired deadly from beneath her umbrella looking at the window. She seemed to notice Ren staring at her and thus, she wore an irritated and disgusted expression on her face, changing her demeanor in a matter of mere seconds only.

"What are you staring at, you freak?" The mean girl clicked her tongue.

"S-Sorry." Nervously, Ren turned his back forward.

"Oh. My. God. I can't believe he pissed her off on his first day."

"I bet he's going to be her next victim."

"He has just dug his own grave..."

"Oh, right! The volleyball rally's in two days... everyone's just changed classes, so make sure you use that time to get to know each other. Well then, let's get the class started. Who's on duty today?" Ms. Kawakami announced.

"Everyone, please rise..." The well-behaved student said.

*******

**_\------Time Skip: After Class-------_ **

After classes were finally over, students started walking out of their classes to head home, or to hang out with their friends. Many thoughts ran through the boy's head about the events of that weird and hellish morning; the appearance of that castle, the power he awakened, that cat Morgana, all those monsters they faced, and Kamoshida who was beating them to death back then. It seemed like wherever Ren went, troubles were always going after him in one way or another, and now there was _that!_ The exposure of his record to the school apparently. While Ren was exiting his classroom, he paused at the spot upon seeing his vision shifting between the school's hallways and the castle's... his body felt weak and could collapse all of a sudden.

"Wha...?!" Ren asked himself weakly as he held his head.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Ms. Kawakami asked after exiting the classroom.

"Is this... a school?"

"Are you sure you're okay? Also... it seems like people are already talking about you, but I'm not the one who told them. I can't even catch a break... why do I have to deal with this?"

"Don't ask me..." Ren mumbled to himself angrily while placing his hands in his pockets.

"You should head straight home without stopping by anywhere. Sakura-San sounded pretty angry. Oh, and about Sakamoto-Kun. Don't get involved--"

Ms. Kawakami's words were cut off and left hanging in the air with Ryuji approaching them, his timing was way too perfect as well.

"Speak of the devil..." Mrs. Kawakami mumbled, "What do you want? I heard the police caught you cutting classes today."

"Ugh... It was nothin'." Ryuji groaned.

"And you haven't dyed your hair back to black either..."

"Sorry 'bout that." Ryuji mumbled angrily before walking away, stopping near Ren's ear, "...I'll be waitin' on the rooftop."

"I'll be there." Ren whispered back before Ryuji walked away.

"See? That's why I don't want you getting involved. Understood?" Ms. Kawakami sighed before walking away.

And just when Red attempted to walk away, his ears perked up at the sound of footsteps approaching his direction. Thus, he looked up to see the principal and Kamoshida walking together, catching him off-guard as they stood not too far away from him.

"Why did you allow a student like him to transfer here? He's already started associating with Sakamoto. A student with a criminal record, and the culprit of an assault case. At this rate, it'd be pointless how much I contribute to the school." Kamoshida stated.

"Now, don't be like that... this school counts on you, Kamoshida-Kun. You are our star. Still, a steady build-up is necessary behind such brilliance as well." Principal Kobayakawa rebutted.

"...Your troubles never seem to end, do they, Principal Kobayakawa? All right, I understand. I'll continue to do my best to answer your expectations of me." Kamoshida grinned as the two men walked away.

"This is hopeless..." Ren sighed deeply before taking the stairs up to the rooftop.

The raven-haired walked up to the rooftop where he found Ryuji sitting on a chair and resting his leg on an old desk, seemingly waiting for him while eating a showa-style fried dough. When he saw Ren walking in, he quickly adjusted himself on the desk before splitting it in half and offering it for him, catching Ren somehow off-guard. Throughout the entire day, everyone was cautious of Ren due to his past being leaked out somehow so Ryuji was the first who ever did anything kind to him; well, he did save his life back at the castle, after all.

"Thanks."

"...There you are. Sorry for callin' you up like this."

"No, it's fine."

"I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like **'don't get involved with him'** , huh?"

"She said you're trouble."

"Heh, we're pretty much in the same boat." Ryuji chuckled, "I heard you got a criminal record. Everyone's talkin' about it. No wonder you were so gutsy."

"I don't think that's the case though..."

"...What was all that happened? You know, how we almost got killed at a castle... it wasn't a dream... right? You remember it too, yeah?"

"Kamoshida." Ren nodded.

"Well, just 'cause we both remember it doesn't mean much though..." Ryuji trailed, "I mean, even if it was a dream, you saved me from Kamoshida. So yeah... thanks!"

"You're welcome."

"But man, that Kamoshida we saw there... you prolly don't know about it, but there are some rumors about him."

"Rumors?"

"Yeah, the ripped mophead. That asshole who was all full of himself at the castle. No one says anything against him 'cause he's some medalist who took the volleyball team to nationals. The way Kamoshida was king of that castle felt crazy real 'cause of that..."

"I see..." Ren nodded slowly.

"...I wonder if we can go back to that castle again..." Ryuji thought out loudly, "Ugh, forget it. Must've all been a dream! It has to be!"

"........."

"Sorry to drag you out here like this. That's all I had to say. I feel like we're gonna get along just fine as **'troublemakers.'** "

"Eh? But--"

"I'll come to talk if I see you around. Don't ignore me, all right? Seeya." Ryuji gave Ren a small wave before leaving the rooftop.

Ren was left all alone behind as he tilted his head comically because, well... that sure was one interesting encounter with that boy. In the end, Ren chuckled to himself before eating that half of the fried dough Ryuji gave to him--it was dry but better than anything. He was quite hungry since he didn't have anything besides curry for breakfast, thus he had it in pure bliss while exiting the roof... and for that, he was truly grateful for Ryuji.

*******

**_\------Evening: Leblanc------_ **

Reaching his hand toward the doorknob, Ren halted his hand upon realization striking him at that one specific moment--the school must've told Sojiro about him being awfully late on his first day. He had absolutely no idea what to expect the moment he'd open that door, would Sojiro yell at him? Give him a lecture? Threaten him again? Even so, Ren had wronged even though it was out of his hand, so he had to face the consequences of his actions like any normal person would do. Plus, he escaped death that day so what would be the worst thing that could happen? And yet, his suspicions were proved to be true since he was met with Sojiro's angry face the moment he opened the door and set foot into the café who was tapping his finger on the counter, apparently waiting for him to come back.

"Hey, I got an interesting call from your school today. It's your first day and you're already showing up hours late?"

"I'm sorry about that..." Ren stopped his tracks.

"And here I thought you got up and left on time this morning. Look, just behave yourself. Your life's forfeit if anything happens. You understand the meanings of probation, right?"

"I know." Ren replied. The light on his glasses' lenses was hiding his eyes.

"Okay then."

**_Pi_ **

**_Pi_ **

**_Pi_ **

The man's phone rang.

"Hey, what's up?" Sojiro answered the call, "...Yeah, I just closed up shop. I'll be there in half an hour." He looked at Ren, "Hey, what're you standing around for? Go hurry on up to bed."

"...No, I just hired a part-timer." Sojiro looked at the boy again, "Don't forget to lock the door and turn all the lights off, okay?" Then he continued the call, "...Yup. I'm leaving now. I told you, he's a part-timer."

With slow steps, Ren walked up to the attic where his new room became, placing his bag down on the table near the stairs. He was tired, very and unimaginably tired... every nonsensical thing that happened that day was catching up to him, making him feel weaker more and more. None of that made any sense at all, not the castle, the monsters, his new powers, Kamoshida, the leaking of his record, not a goddamn thing at all! The lenses of his glasses shone with light, thus covering his grey eyes and concealing them completely, an unreadable expression made its way on his features as he stood still in his place.

_"Kamoshida..._ _a_ _castle... and..."_

An image of Arsène flashed in his mind.

"Looks like this year won't be so bad after all. A big castle, having that power, and fighting monsters..."

He was _so_ intrigued at that moment.

"What else are you hiding for me, Tokyo...?" Ren's lips curved into a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, I've decided to end the chapter right here!
> 
> Man, I'm so proud and excited about the direction the story is going in.
> 
> You might be wondering... where are the OCs?!
> 
> Don't you worry? I assure you that they'll make their wrecking debuts very soon. 😆😉
> 
> I just hope that you liked this chapter, and wait patiently for the upcoming one.
> 
> Published on: Sun/May 3/2020


	7. Chapter 03

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bad boy finds his will to stand up against injustice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOHOO!!! GET READY TO ROCK N' ROLL, BABY!!!

_**\------Next Day: Train Station------**_

The hustle and bustle of the train station were the same as ever no matter where Ren was whether in Tokyo or back in his hometown... some things really don't change, huh? Being completely drowned by the whispers and murmurs from the students around him, Ren tried occupying himself by aimlessly scrolling through articles online until the train arrived--he wasn't going to be late on his second day too. It was until then that the previous day's events began catching up; the castle, Morgana, Kamoshida, the awakening of his power, and everything else... it was all so bizarre to be believable, yet he saw it all and experienced it all, so there was absolutely no way all of that was unreal or a simple dream. The pain he felt while he was getting beaten up wasn't a joke either, his back ached him a little from the smack of the shield that knocked him out before getting carried to the cell.

Speaking of which, he hoped that Sakamoto wasn't suffering like that too. He was getting beaten up real bad by Kamoshida too.

"Look, isn't that her?"

"You mean that one with the red ribbon? Uh, I guess so?"

"She's so thin... it's not far, I've got my hair in a ponytail too..."

"Okay, and what's that got to do with being thin?"

And that was the cue for the train to arrive since the sound of its engine was drawing nearer and nearer for a while now before it came to sight and finally ceased to halt. And due to the number of students that were standing on the platform, Ren was literally being squished by the crowd as it forced itself inside, a sea of bodies squeezed and crashed into him even before he had the chance to move his foot. The inside of the train wasn't any better either since Ren's body was being smashed from all corners by an endless crowd of people... absolutely brought a lot of memories from his hometown. However, there was a girl who stood out among everyone on the train and caught Ren's attention who had red long hair tied into a ponytail, with a red ribbon tied into a bow, red eyes, and pink lips. She wore a Shujin Academy winter uniform with black pantyhose and red loafers.

"Please, take my seat. My station's coming up" The student with ribbon in hair offered to an old lady after standing up.

"Are you sure? Then..."

But before the kind old lady could sit down, a man made his way through and sat down on the now-empty seat after the red-haired girl stepped away from it.

"Oh wow, what speed!" She muttered to herself, "I mean-- Excuse me, that seat was for this lady..."

But the man had his head lowered down, already fast asleep. How rude.

"Oh..." She trailed.

"Do you want me to wake him up?" Ren asked the girl.

"It's all right. I can understand his position as well." She smiled at Ren politely before looking back at the old lady, "I'm sorry I couldn't be any help."

"It's all right, dearie. Don't you worry."

"Please allow me to carry your luggage, at least." The red-haired carried the old lady's bag.

"Thank you! Ain't it heavy, though?"

"Not at all! I train plenty."

As if on cue with the girl's words, the train's speaker announced the arrival to the Aoyama-Itchome district, making Ren try to make his way through the crowd to exit the train before the doors closed off. Taking a long breath in and out, Ren could finally feel like he could be at ease after taking some fresh air in a less crowded area, and it was as if he held his breath the entire time. Taking a few steps forward while adjusting his bag on his shoulder, Ren's ears perked up at the sound of hurried footsteps coming his way quickly and someone calling for him, causing the dark-haired to stop his tracks and look behind him with curious eyes.

"Pardon me..." The red-haired girl from the train approached him.

"Yes?"

"Thank you so much for earlier." She bowed to him.

"With what?"

"For speaking up when I offered my seat on the train."

"No, it was nothing." Ren shrugged it off with a wave and a faint smile.

"You're a second-year at Shujin Academy, correct? I'm a first-year there myself."

Ah, a junior then...

"Thanking you totally slipped my mind back on the train, and I didn't want to be rude to my senpai. Please, excuse me!" She bowed once more before walking away.

Huh, what a sweet and polite girl... she was probably the second Shujin student ever to approach Ren so casually after Sakamoto, and that caused Ren's lips to curve upward to the smallest smile ever. Although he shouldn't judge on appearances, he never felt the slightest or smallest ill intent from the red-haired girl; it felt like her overall aura was brimming with light and joy. The way she was so soft-spoken to him and even went out of her way to follow him and thank him since it slipped her mind earlier, even though he had hardly done anything. So maybe, just maybe... he might still have some faith in people around him regardless of the huge label he had to carry.

Thus, deep down Ren... was truly thankful for that kind and sweet red-haired even though he didn't know who she was.

*******

_**\-------Shujin Academy: Class 2**_ - _ **D------**_

A new day, a new school day for Ren, and yet another hellish day of students' endless gossip and chatter about him. He was undoubtedly uncomfortable with disapproving looks following him everywhere he went, murmurs and whispers never stopped whenever he passed someone. Even during class, he didn't survive from gossip and chatter, after all, he was the new hot topic of the school. He felt like the world had turned pitch black around him and could only hear the sounds of chatters, whispers, and murmurs all around him. When he felt like he was going to lose it, his fingers gripped his hair tightly while leaning his face down.

_"Please, make them stop...!"_

The only thing that saved Ren from completely losing his sanity was the sound of the bell ringing and the teacher ending the lecture. Ren's hands moved away from his head as he slowly got up from his desk, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. When he attempted to walk out, the mean brown-haired girl walked past him and _intentionally_ bumped her shoulder into his. She didn't even bother to stop and apologize to him. As Ren stepped out of class, he saw Kamoshida walking towards the ash blonde-haired flashy girl with a wide grin plastered on his face.

"Hey there, Takamaki." Kamoshida greeted with a wide grin on his face, "You looking for a ride home? Things have been pretty dangerous lately with all those accidents."

"Sorry, I have a photoshoot today. It's for the special summer issue, so I can't afford to miss it..." Takamaki replied.

"Hey, now... being a model's fine and dandy, but don't work your pretty little self to the bone. You mentioned you weren't feeling well, right? Something about appendicitis?"

"Yes, I keep planning to go to the hospital, but I've been too busy... sorry to worry you."

"You must be lonely too. I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often. That's why I asked you out in the first place. Oh, and... be careful around that transfer student. He's got a criminal record, after all. If something were to happen to you..."

"...Thank you. Please excuse me." Takamaki bowed before walking away.

"Tch..." Kamoshida clicked his tongue angrily before he left the spot himself.

"........." Ren narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

The first time he ever saw Kamoshida in the car on his way to Shujin for his first day, he never thought he was, in reality, a despicable and awful man, and that made Ren feel sick. He was always so kind and naive that he never questioned the true nature of people behind the "innocent" and "friendly" masks they wore. But seeing Kamoshida's castle and his concealed colors with his own eyes taught him a very cruel lesson. Ren once experienced the bitter reality of society on the night of his false arrest, yet he was still such a gullible fool--easy prey for the dirty and evil individuals.

Humans... were indeed such cruel and dark creatures.

*******

**_\------Afternoon: Shujin's Gymnasium------_ **

That... was the last place he ever wanted to be at, but it seemed like heavens hated Ren's guts that day for a reason or another. And yet, there he was with the most horrifying person ever in the same room practicing volleyball... yep, heavens hated Ren's every fiber alright. The moment Kamoshida called Ren's name, he felt like someone had poured ice on his back from behind his shirt that it caused his stomach to do a nasty flip. Murmurs and whispers soon filled the gymnasium upon the call of the transfer student as he made his way toward the court. Standing by the opposite side of the net, the young boy couldn't help but notice the glimmer of malice that shone in Kamoshida's eyes along with the wide grin that spread on his face.

"To you!" Kamoshida spiked a mighty volleyball toward Ren who failed to block it, hitting his shoulder.

The spike actually hurt Ren, as if Kamoshida was intending on harming him. It was a battle of beating or getting beaten after all, huh?

"Come on!" He spiked another ball that hit Ren's other shoulder, causing him to kneel down on a single knee.

Ren quietly winced under his breath at the impact of two powerful spikes aimed at his shoulders. If that damned teacher applied a little more force into them, he'd easily break the boy's bones... that was one of the times Ren actually cursed his thin and slender build.

"What's wrong? If you play like that at the rally tomorrow, the girls will laugh at you!" Kamoshida taunted the raven-haired.

Far outside of the court, Takamaki was leaning her back against the wall while fiddling her fingers with locks of her platinum blonde hair. She glanced at the teacher who looked back at her before turning the gaze of his eyes back at Ren who was eyeing him rather intensely. Kamoshida felt blood boiling inside of his veins at the sight of the boy who was clenching his shoulder, yet still managing to challenge him. That goddamn brat was making fun of him, wasn't he? He was Suguru Kamoshida, Shujin's idol, for God's sake, and no one... NO one dared to even look at him like that, especially not some no-good-for country kid!

"Quit slacking, newbie!" Kamoshida shouted before spiking a much stronger ball that hit Ren directly in his face, causing his glasses to fall from his face.

Surprised and shocked gasps filled the entire gym along with horrified eyes as Ren flew a few feet backward, but managed to remain standing somehow. His left cheek was bruised from the powerful and mighty spike, and what made Ren angrier was that he knew it was on purpose... not that he didn't expect it. Ren turned his face at Kamoshida, sending deadly glares at him that could pierce through his soul, feeling his heart, soul, and very being burning with anger at such a low and dirty move. Although it was merely a glare from his eyes, it was more than enough to deliver his message loud and clear to everyone present and watching, especially to Kamoshida himself.

"R-Right, next! Mishima!" Kamoshida called nervously after clearing his throat.

"O-Okay!" The boy named Mishima replied nervously before heading to the other side of the court.

Grunting to himself, Ren bent down and took his glasses from the floor walking away from the scene, and again between the endless murmurs of the other students. Right by the gym's door, the boy stopped his tracks to glance back at Kamoshida whose turn to glare angrily at Ren while gritting his teeth in pure frustration. Even so, Ren's gaze remained and as sharp and unwavering as ever since he also wasn't going down and be succumbed to him so easily before he quietly exited the gym with a sour feeling rushing through him. It was just getting more personal at that point and Ren already reached the no turning back point, not after entering Kamoshida's castle and seeing it all.

And that was only the beginning.

*******

**_\------The Courtyard------_ **

Well... that sucked alright.

Grey and gloomy skies reflected on his dull and tired dark grey irises as the cool breeze blew over him, sending light goosebumps up his skin. The swish of tree leaves could be heard through the courtyard due to the air that was blowing over, some of them were dancing along on the ground swiftly. He had always loved rainy days even though some found them gloomy, but he founded a hidden charm and peace in them that only he understood and no one else. Ren sat all by himself on a bench, having a sandwich he bought earlier while rubbing the swollen area on his left cheek. Recently, loneliness wasn't a foreign companion of his and found himself getting quite accustomed to it whether he liked it or not, so the quietness of the courtyard felt nice for a change.

"Ouch...!" Ren flinched slightly when his fingers brushed against his cheek, feeling pain rush through his bones.

With a heavy and distressed sigh, he lifted his face up only to see a scene that caught his fullest attention that he didn't really expect to see. It was the mean dark brown-haired, who he didn't catch her name yet, sitting down across him and reading a book, her half-lidded eyes scanned the pages thoroughly while burying her face into her palm. It seemed like she was there before him since he came to the courtyard only a few minutes ago, yet he still didn't feel her presence sooner... perhaps it was due to him wandering aimlessly in his thoughts? He watched her fingers so delicately tucking some locks of her hair behind her ear before continuing to flip the pages of her book--for the first time, she looked so normal to him and almost at peace. Without much thinking, Ren got up from his place and approached the girl with a small and polite smile on his face, encouraged by her calm expression that he might have a normal conversation with her.

"Can I sit down?"

"I don't care." She replied without even having eye contact with him.

"What are you reading?" Ren asked as he sat down.

"It's a book called **'None of Your Business.'** "

That statement caused Ren to sweatdrop since the sarcasm was _very_ obvious in it. Then again, his curiosity got the better of him by leaning to his side to steal a peek at the book.

"Wait, I recognize this book. Isn't this Agatha Christie?" Ren pointed his finger.

"If you know, then why are you asking me?"

"I was just trying to start a conversation--"

"Well I don't want to talk to you, so how about you scram from here, new kid?"

Now that caught Ren off guard causing him to slightly widen his eyes. The girl's hostility and rudeness towards him were ultimately unexplainable and uncalled for since he didn't even know her, but that never stopped her from being so mean to him.

She must've heard the rumors about him too...

"I'm sorry to bother you." Feeling hurt, Ren attempted to leave.

"All right, let's cut through the bullshit." The mean girl slammed her book closed violently, "You're here to ask about the rumors, aren't you?"

"Rumors? What rumors?" Ren blinked in confusion.

"The rumors about me--" She paused after processing his question, "Wait, you don't know about the rumors?"

"No."

"That's weird... I'm surprised they haven't reached you yet. News moves around really quickly in this school. Then again, there are some shady rumors regarding you too." The girl stated blankly while standing up.

"Um..."

"You better bandage this bruise." The mean girl looked at him from the corner of her eye, "Or people might think that I punched you or something." Then she walked away.

"........" Ren watched the brown-haired walk away silently.

For some reason, there was a small glitter of... sympathy in her eyes when she looked at him?

"Oh, there you are!"

Looking up at the source of the sound, Ren's eyes were met with the same male student he encountered on his way to Shujin the previous day and fell on the rainy road. Well, he could never forget that green hair of his along with the set of diamond-patterned freckles on his face, and even now he almost tripped on his way toward Ren once more, causing the dark-haired to sweatdrop heavily. Once the green-haired boy approached Ren, he had the most worried look on his face when he studied Ren's expression and noticed the dark bruise on his cheek from Kamoshida's spike earlier.

"I was at the gym and I saw what happened... that was a real strong spike..." The plain-looking student looked down.

"No, it's fine. Really." Ren reassured him.

"And that bruise...! It really needs to be bandaged before it becomes swollen. Please, allow me to accompany you to the nurse's office! It's the least thing I can do to thank you for helping me yesterday."

"You really don't have to. I'm fine."

"Please, I insist." The green-haired looked at Ren eagerly.

"All right." He stood up.

"Wait, I just noticed... you're a second-year, right? Then that makes you my senpai, I'm actually a first-year."

Another junior?

"Nice to meet you." Ren nodded.

"The pleasure's all mine, Senpai! Come on, let's go now and get you fixed up."

*******

\------ ** _Time Skip: After School------_**

Finally, that hellish day came to an end with Kamoshida and everything, a white bandage was placed on his left cheek where the swollen area existed due to the spike. Although the injury got all patched up by the nurse, it still hurt him and itched that it felt like a taste of will _not_ to take off the bandage to scratch it. His saving grace was that his glasses weren't broken since he couldn't afford a new one at the moment and asking his guardian was totally out of the question. Ren exited the school building while thinking about the girl's words to him; There were rumors about her too? How come he never heard anything about that? He thought that maybe it was due to him being the hot topic of the school, but that fact left him curious. As he was thinking hard about that while holding his chin, he spotted a familiar blonde-haired boy waving at him.

"Yo." Ryuji greeted with a friendly smile.

"Hey, what's up?" Ren greeted.

"I wanna talk about that castle from yesterday. I tried tellin' myself it was all just a dream... but I couldn't do it. I can't act as nothing happened. It's all connected to that bastard Kamoshida after, all. I wanna find out what's up with that place, no matter what. And y'know, you're the only person I can rely on for this stuff. So, you in?" Ryuji asked.

"I understand how you feel, I really am. So of course I'm in. What's next?" Ren replied.

"Ooh... looks like I managed to talk some sense into you. I think we should just try and retrace our steps from yesterday. In the meantime, you're walkin' to the station, right? Let's go together. Lemme know if you notice any other weird buildings on the way." Ryuji grinned widely.

_"He doesn't seem like a bad guy at all. I should probably just go along with this..."_ Ren thought.

Walking side-by-side in silence with the blonde-haired boy away from the school building, Ren couldn't help but steal quick glances at Ryuji who had his arms crossed behind his head while whistling to himself. The dark-haired sweatdropped at the thought that Ryuji seemed to chill and relaxed for someone who was in a bizarre castle, saw a teacher as a king, witnessed armored men, and almost got himself killed. Even so, Ren agreed to help, the idea of returning to the castle got him a little bit concerned that it caused a cold sweat to roll down his forehead; the pain he felt when the guards hit him, the thought of dying, the feeling of being unable to save Ryuji at first, and how scared he was that his legs were shaking so much... it all came back to him.

But those thoughts were put at a halt for the moment.

"If a huge castle like that really exists, I'm sure we'll find it in no time." Ryuji paused his tracks and looked at Ren, "...When'd they build something like that though?"

"Don't ask me..." Ren shrugged his shoulders.

Ryuji took a quick glance at his surroundings before saying, "We walked that way from here, right?"

"Yeah, I remember that we walked into a small alley."

"...All right, this way. Lemme know if you notice something." Ryuji walked into the alley.

Retracing their old steps which they took yesterday as much as they could remember, the two boys reached the front of the school building, widening their eyes in shock upon seeing it in its normal self. It was truly something they didn't see coming at all.

"Huh...?! We're at school... there wasn't anything out of place along the way, right? I didn't see no castle either..." Ryuji trailed, "...We must've made a wrong turn somewhere. Let's try again."

"Again...? Will that really work?" Ren raised his eyebrow.

"Don't worry. I won't mess up this time. Let's go."

And of course much to Ryuji's enthusiasm and determination, they tried again, but with no result at all whatsoever... they stood in front of Shujin Academy once again.

"For real...?" Ryuji lowered his head.

"........." Ren grunted.

"Is it smaller than we think it is? What do you think?"

"Check on your phone." Ren suggested.

"I already did that. I didn't see anything like it around here..."

That was when it hit him.

"Huh? Phone..." Ryuji recalled, "Hey, that reminds me--didn't you have a navigation app thingy on back then?"

"Navigation app...?" Ren repeated.

"I dunno if it was or not, but I heard stuff that sounded like one comin' from your phone. Y'know, didn't it say stuff like **'returned to the real world'** or something like that? Lemme see your phone for a bit."

"...Sure." Ren pulled his phone out as Ryuji quickly snatched it away from him.

"What's this eyeball-lookin' thing?" Ryuji tilted his head.

"I don't know. It just appeared out of nowhere, and I can't delete it..." Ren explained.

"Wait, what? What a weird app..." Ryuji hummed, "...Oh wait, this is it! I knew it--it IS a navigation app! There's even your search history!" He exclaimed while showing Ren the screen, "Oh man, I'm such a genius!"

"I'm not so sure about that though..." Ren sweatdropped.

"Let's try usin' it."

"But I don't know how to."

"Then I'll do it." Ryuji clicked.

**_"Kamoshida... Shujin Academy... Pervert... Castle... beginning navigation."_** The metaverse navigator spoke in a robotic voice.

"There we go!" Ryuji cheered, "...Then we went in a certain direction, and--"

".........!" Ren gasped softly as everything around them colored in dark purple velvet.

"Hey, what're you--" Ryuji paused, "...Huh? What the hell?!"

Ren's phone screen twitched and glitched like the screen of a broken TV with the eyeball symbol popping up and blinding their vision from seeing anything clearly anymore. Everything was colored in dark shades of reddish-black, taking the shape of a dark vortex that distorted the boy's surroundings entirely and reforming them to something else entirely. The boys felt as if an invisible force was dragging their numb bodies vigorously away from their reality and shove them into a whole different domain from the one they used to know.

*******

**_\------The Castle------_ **

Rubbing his eyes to kick out the blurriness from his view, Ren was met once again with the sight of the obnoxious middle-ages themed castle for the second time in two days. Well, he did have the most pleasant memories there, so he couldn't say that he was glad to return there again... but that was something he needed to do nonetheless. Last time, he and Ryuji accidentally ended up there without having the slightest idea of what could possibly await them there, but that time was different; they knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. At that time, they had a clear idea of the creatures that lurked inside and what they were capable of in terms of strength and supernatural powers, so that should give them an advantage.

Or so they hoped.

"Look! It's the castle from yesterday!" Ryuji exclaimed before running toward the main entrance.

"H-Hey! Wait--" Ren cut his sentence while following the blonde-haired.

"We made it back... that means what happened yesterday was for real too..."

"You're right..."

"...Yeargh! Those clothes...!" Ryuji gasped at Ren's appearance.

"Hm?" Ren hummed in a questioning tone while staring at his gloved hand.

"That happened last time too, huh?! What's with that outfit?!"

"Not bad, huh?" Ren's lips curved into a smirk, "What? You jelly?"

"I-I ain't jealous!"

"Sure..."

"What's goin' on here?! This makes no effin' sense at all..."

"Hey!" A familiar voice called.

Looking at the sound's source, the two boys were met with the weird cat Morgana who was rushing toward them.

"Stop making a commotion." Morgana whispered.

"Ah... you?!" Ryuji groaned.

"The Shadows started acting up, so I came here wondering what it could be..." Morgana stated, "...To think you guys would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape."

"What is this place? ...Is it the school?" Ryuji asked.

"That's right."

"But it's a castle!"

"This castle IS the school." Morgana reassured, "...But only to this castle's ruler."

"The castle's ruler...?" Ryuji scratched his hair.

"I think you called him Kamoshida? It's how his distorted heart views the school."

"Kamoshida... distorted..." Ryuji trailed while looking at Ren before snapping, "Explain it in a way that makes sense!"

"I shouldn't have expected a moron to get it..." Morgana trailed.

"What'd you say?!" Ryuji growled at the cat.

That was when they heard a blood-curdling scream that pierced right through their ears, sending shivers down their spines.

"What was that?!" Ren was alerted.

"It must be the slaves captive here." Morgana narrowed his eyes.

"For real?!" Ryuji widened his eyes before hearing another scream, "Oh shit... it's for real! We saw other guys held captive here yesterday... I'm pretty sure they're from our school."

"Most likely on Kamoshida's orders, it's nothing out of the ordinary. It's like that every day here. What's more, you two escaped yesterday. He must have lost his temper quite a bit." Morgana explained.

"That son of a bitch...!" Ryuji shouted.

"Ryuji...?" Morgana trailed.

"...This is bullshit!"

"Hey--" Ren's words were cut off.

The blonde-haired ran to the castle's door and banged it with his side while yelling, "You hear me, Kamoshida?!"

"Doing that isn't going to open it, you know... still, it seems you have your reasons." Morgana shook his head.

"Hey, Monamona." Ryuji approached the other two again.

"It's Morgana!" The cat growled.

"Do you know where those voices are comin' from...?"

"You want me to take you to them?" Morgana folded his hands "...Well, I guess I could guide you there. But only if he comes with us." He looked at Ren.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go." Ren nodded.

"It's settled then!"

"For real...?!" Ryuji grinned, "...Thanks, man."

"All right, let's do this. Follow me." Morgana called before heading away.

All three went into the exit where they escaped last time and began their mission of infiltrating the castle while staying away from the enemies in the shadows as much as possible. It was crucial to avoid any unnecessary combats so Ryuji's life wouldn't be in danger even if Morgana and Ren were able to use that Persona power. They reached an underground dungeon where they saw how the volleyball players were being tortured in some very unimaginable and inhumane methods. Their screams and desperate calls for help could only pierce into their ears, making the two boys taken over by guilt and anger for not being able to help them since they were only cognitive beings of their real-life counterparts. But there was where they found what they were looking for, true evidence for the rumors regarding that low life scum's physical abuse of his team... not that it surprised them anymore. Ryuji memorized the faces of some of these players before giving Ren a nod of acknowledgment that he was done with his task and decided to head back to the exit and away from that godforsaken place.

Only when the worst-case scenario kicked in...

"...You knaves again?" Shadow Kamoshida walked over the three with a troop of guards, "To think you'd make the same mistake again. You're hopeless!" He scoffed.

"The school ain't your castle! I've memorized their faces real good. You're goin' down!" Ryuji shouted at him.

"It seems it's true when they say **'barking dogs seldom bite'**. How far the star runner of the track team has fallen."

"The hell are you gettin' at?!"

"I speak of the **'Track Traitor'** who acted in violence, ending his teammates' dreams. Oh, I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your... selfish act." Shadow Kamoshida snickered sickly.

"...Is that true?" Ren looked at Ryuji in utter shock.

"Ngh..." Ryuji groaned.

"Violence? **'Track Traitor'**? What does he mean?" Ren asked again.

"What a surprise. So you're accompanying him without knowing anything at all? He betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever." Kamoshida smickered.

"That's not true!" Ryuji protested.

"You've come along with this fool and are now going to end up dead." Shadow Kamoshida chuckled darkly, "...How unlucky of you. Go, kill them all. Don't sully my castle with garbage." He ordered.

Two guards walked close to the three before going berserk, thus turning into two demonic monsters; Black horses with red eyes, white hair and tail, and big green horns.

"Goddammit..." Ryuji groaned.

"Ryuji, move--" Morgana tried to warn the blonde-haired.

However, Morgana got a powerful smack on the head which knocked him down instantly--he clearly couldn't stand a chance against such strength. Without giving the chance for Ren to react either, he was almost immediately thrown down on the floor while being stomped on his head, earning a painful groan from him.

"Rgh... you piece of--" Morgana hissed while his back was being stepped on by Kamoshida's foot.

"Ugh...!" Ren also tried to lift his face up but was apprehended down the same way.

"I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended up like this. Isn't that right?" Shadow Kamoshida asked darkly.

"No..." Ryuji shook his head after he collapsed on his knees.

"What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly... how dare you raise your hand at me. Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?"

"Wasn't no practice--it was physical abuse! You just didn't like our team!" Ryuji hit the floor with his hands.

"It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who needs to achieve results is me! That coach who got fired was hopeless too..." Shadow Kamoshida snickered, "Had he not opposed me with a second argument, I would've settled it with only breaking his star's leg."

"...What?" Ryuji gasped while lifting his face a bit.

  
"A broken leg...?" Ren trailed shockingly.

"Do you need me to deal with your other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!" Shadow Kamoshida chuckled devilishly.

"Dammit... am I gonna lose again...? Not only can I not run anymore... the track team is gone too 'cause of this asshole...! And I lost a childhood friend too!" Ryuji hit the floor with his fists while crying sorrowfully.

"So that's why..." Morgana trailed before Kamoshida stepped with more force on his back.

"Once these two are dealt with, you're next. Hahahaha....!" Shadow Kamoshida laughed hysterically.

"Ryuji!" Morgana called in pain.

"You're gonna let him talk to you like that? You can't forgive him, right?" Ren spoke.

".......?!" Ryuji gasped in shock.

"Let's take back what's dear to you!" Ren lifted his face with a determined look on his face.

"...You're right. Everything that was important to me was taken by him... I'll never get 'em back...! I lost Mikki and I might not get her back also..." Ryuji mumbled.

"Stay there and watch. Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you." Shadow Kamoshida smirked again.

"No... that's what you are..." Ryuji stood up on his feet, "All you think about is using people... you're the real scumbag, Kamoshida!" He walked toward the Shadow.

"What are you doing? Silence him!"

"Stop lookin' down on me with that stupid smile on your face!" Ryuji yelled while pointing at Shadow Kamoshida with his finger.

**_"You made me wait quite a while."_ **

That voice that rang inside Ryuji's head caused his eye color to turn from brown to golden while holding his head from the unimaginable pain.

"A-Aaaagh...!" Ryuji cried in pain as he dropped on his knees.

**_"You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact."_ **

**_"Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc...?"_ **

**_"The 'other you' who exists within desires it thus..."_ **

**_"I am thou, thou art I..."_ **

**_"There is no turning back..."_ **

**_"The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!"_ **

Ryuji lifted his face to expose a metallic skull mask that appeared on his face as his golden eyes were literally burning with anger and rage as he glared at Shadow Kamoshida.

"Hmph. What can you do...? Cower in fear and watch!" The guards' captain who was apprehending Ren drew his sword out.

"Aah..." Ryuji struggled while trying to remove the mask from his face.

"Nnnngh... hraaaaaaaaaagh...!"

He yelled in a blood-curdling scream on top of his lungs as he ripped the mask off, causing blood to drip all over his face. A crazily strong wave of blue flames enveloped the entire room, creating a massive wave of wind as Ryuji's scream never stopped. When the blue flames settled down, it took the form of a skeletonic pirate riding a ship that wore a black cloak, an eyepatch on its right eye, a blue vest with two belts crossed like an X sign on the chest with chains dangling from them that resembled anchors, black leather pants, black leather boots, and had a cannon for its right hand. The boy's clothes were changed as well, and they consisted of a matching black jacket and pants with knee pads, a red ascot, combat boots, and a pair of yellow gloves. He lifted his face up to smirk in victory at Kamoshida's Shadow, feeling that new power took control over him which felt undeniably so _damn_ good!

"Ugh... this one as well?!" Shadow Kamoshida gritted his teeth.

"Right on... wassup, Persona..." Ryuji looked at his gloved hands in awe.

"This effin' rocks! Now that I got this power, it's time for payback..." Ryuji knocked his knuckles against one another.

"We'll teach them a lesson for sure." Ren smiled while standing up.

"Yo, I'm ready..." Ryuji called, "Bring it!"

"Ngh... don't mock me, you brat!" The guard captain said while turning to a red armored knight riding on a black armored horse.

"Blast them away... Captain Kidd!"

"All right, let's do this!" Morgana pointed his sword firmly.

"Arsène!" Ren called after taking his mask off.

A pixie flew toward Arsène, casting thunder on him which hit him but blasted it off by opening his wings fully, thus neither the Persona nor its user was harmed. Two fireballs nearly hit the boys coming from a third Shadow and were about to fire at them once again.

"Show your might, Zorro!" Morgana summoned his Persona that blocked the Shadow's fire attack with a wind spell and sent it flying away.

"Sheesh. Total amateurs." Morgana smirked proudly.

"You're joining, too?!" Ryuji asked shockingly.

"Now! Attack as one!" Morgana pointed his sword as the boys drew their weapons out as well.

It was now or never.

"Follow me, rookies!" Morgana ran toward the three Shadows with the boys, ending them with a stylish All-Out Attack.

"...How 'bout that?!" Ryuji held his knees in exhaustion.

"Whoa... so Ryuji had the potential too..." Morgana was almost speechless.

"Even if you apologize now... I ain't forgivin' you...!"

"I told you that this is my castle. It seems you still don't understand..." Kamoshida smirked.

That moment, Takamaki walked into the room with the widest smile ever on her face and stood next to Kamoshida's Shadow. And yet, she wore a provocative, purple bikini with panther-like patterns on it, pink high heels, a pair of cat ears, and a pink crown on top of her head. Takamaki cooed happily at the sight of the two teenage boys as she clung to the Shadow's arm, giving the unexpected guest a wink along with an amused giggle.

"Huh...?!" Ren dumbfounded.

"Wh-- Takamaki?!" Ryuji gasped.

"Oh...! Wha... What a meow-velous and beautiful girl...!" Morgana exclaimed dreamily, his eyes turning to hearts.

"I'm jealous... no, no, no!" Ryuji shook his head.

"Exactly. No." Ren spoke confidently.

"Yeah, apparently..." Morgana trailed.

"What's going on...?!" Ryuji yelled, seeing Takamaki hug Shadow Kamoshida from the side.

"Something seems off. That's just not right." Ren narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, now that you mention it... but why is she even here?!" Ryuji knitted his eyebrows.

Then, Shadow Kamoshida caressed Takamaki's cheek, sending a wave of pure anger into Ryuji as his stomach made a nasty flip and acted up at such a disgusting view.

"Hey! Let go of her, you perv!" Ryuji snapped.

"How many times must I tell you until you understand? This is MY castle--a place in which I can do whatever I want. Everyone wishes to be loved by me." Shadow Kamoshida let go of Takamaki's cheek, "...That is, everyone besides slow-witted thieves like you."

"Takamaki! Say somethin'!" Ryuji called.

"Calm down, Ryuji! It seems that girl isn't the real one. She's the same as those slaves--a being made from Kamoshida's cognition of her!" Morgana explained.

"Are you jealous? Well, I'm not surprised. Women aren't drawn to problematic punks like you. Hayashi is no exception either." Shadow Kamoshida smirked.

"Dammit...!" Ryuji groaned.

"Who's Hayashi?" Morgana asked Ren.

"I... don't know." Ren replied.

"Clean them up this instant!" Shadow Kamoshida ordered as reinforcements appeared.

"We're outnumbered... let's scram before we get surrounded!" Morgana urged.

"We're not gonna do anything and just run?!" Ryuji argued.

"We can't die here!" Ren called.

"Thank god you've got a level head." Morgana agreed.

"Ngh... fine. We'll expose what you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us...!" Ryuji threatened.

"Hahaha! I was beginning to get bored of torturing the ones here! Come at me whenever you want, if you don't care about your life. Haaaahahahaha!" Shadow Kamoshida laughed hysterically.

"Ignore him. Let's go!" Morgana called as he ran away with the two boys.

The group of the three all ran together as fast as they possibly could away from the guards to safety and that alone was a challenging task itself so they wouldn't get ambushed a second time. Along the way, Ryuji was wincing in pain as his once broken leg was acting up yet again, sending a nasty wave of pain from his leg bones up to his entire body. Ren glanced at him and noticed how Ryuji was literally going through a hellish pain, but the blonde-haired boy noticed the other's stares at him and gave him a toothy and goofy grin to tell him that he was fine. Finally, they reached the very same room where Ren and Ryuji returned to the real world the first time they came here the previous day, luckily unharmed so far. The raven-haired leaned his back to a wall, gripping his fingers into his chest while panting loudly, and Ryuji was no better than him, sweat was rolling down on their faces.

"Anyways! I don't remember changin' into this!" Ryuji held his knees while panting.

"But it looks good on you though." Ren gave him a thumbs-up.

"Uhh... should I be happy about that? ...Then again, it ain't as bad as yours." Ryuji admitted.

"Did you find them?" A pursuer's voice called.

"Quiet!" Morgana whispered.

"No. Search that way!" Another pursuer's voice ordered.

"So what's goin' on? I'm completely lost, man...!" Ryuji muttered angrily.

"I told you before. When a Persona-user opposes a Palace's ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens. It's to prevent you from being affected by distortions." Morgana explained quietly.

"Is this... a skull?" Ryuji pointed on his mask.

"Your appearance reflects your inner self, it's the rebel that slumbers within... not that you'll get it."

"Nope..."

"Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is."

"Easy for you to say."

"Seriously..." Ren sighed while sweatdropping.

"Wait, we're in deep shit!" Ryuji gasped.

"I said to be quiet!" Morgana whisper-shouted.

"We might've gotten away here, but we're still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school..." Ryuji remembered.

"That's quite sharp of you... for being an idiot. Relax. The Kamoshida in reality can't possibly know about what happens here. A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed--a side of one's personality they don't want to see." Morgana explained.

"...So, we're okay?" Ryuji trailed.

"Did the Kamoshida in reality remember about the execution?" Morgana asked.

".........!" That was when it hit Ryuji.

"There you have it."

"All right! Now that we know that, all we gotta do is--" Ryuji got interrupted.

"Wait, I guided you as promised. It's your turn to cooperate with me. That's why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything." Morgana spoke seriously.

"Huh? Cooperate?" Ryuji dumbfounded.

"Don't you remember? I originally came here for an investigation. I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my true form! That's why we must delve deep into Mementos and--" Morgana's words were cut off.

"Whoa, hold up. What're you goin' on and on about?! We never said anything about helpin' you out." Ryuji argued.

"Huh? Don't tell me... are you not going to repay the hospitality I showed you? Especially you! You're going to up and leave, even though you're already part of my master plan?!" Morgana asked Ren shockingly.

"What plan are you talking about? I never promised you." Ren pointed out.

"Is it because I'm not human...? Because I'm like a cat...? Is that why you're making a fool of me?!"

"We're busy! Thanks for everything, cat. You've got guts, bein' a cat and all! See you around!" Ryuji said before running away with Ren.

"Hey! What the hell? Ugh, seriously! Why're you wrapping this up like everything's all hunky-dory?! Oh hell no! Get back here! ...Grr... GRAAGGGHHH!" Morgana yelled angrily.

*******

**_\------The Real World------_ **

_**"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."**_ The Metaverse Navigator spoke.

"...Thank god. We're back." Ryuji sighed in relief, "I dragged you a lot around, huh? ...Sorry, man."

"Hey, no problem at all." Ren smiled tiredly. It was now that exhaustion was catching up to him.

"Ugh, I'm dead tired... how you holdin' up?"

"Eh, I'm fine."

"That's impressive. I'm exhausted even though I used to do track... but damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good! I totally remember the faces of the guys Kamoshida was treatin' like slaves. Once we make 'em face up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done."

"I hope so... what we saw was really messed up and unforgettable."

"So... wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?"

"Of course I'll help. We're involved in this together now." Ren smiled.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Ryuji exclaimed happily.

Suddenly, Ryuji looked down and his entire mood changed 180 degrees which made Ren notice his change in demeanor and wanted to say something, however, he couldn't muster the right words to say, so he stayed quiet.

"Hey, so... if you're thinkin' of layin' low 'cause you got a record, I don't think that'll help... everyone already knows. They totally got you pegged as a criminal."

"........" Ren fell quiet before opening his mouth, "How'd that happen?"

"Kamoshida opened his damn mouth!" Ryuji growled.

"Seriously? A teacher did that...?"

"No one else besides a teacher could've leaked it that fast! It doesn't matter if it's a student or a club; that asshole just wrecks things he doesn't agree with. Just like he did with me...!"

"........" Ren looked down.

"No one'll take anything I say seriously. Still, those rumors about him gettin' physical might be real. And after seein' Kamoshida's distorted-heart thing in person, there's no way I can just sit back!" Ryuji stated in determination.

"Of course." Ren nodded before staring at his palm, "When I awakened my Persona, I made a vow to myself to help others in need, that's why I'll be with you in this. Until the end."

"Thanks, man. I'm countin' on you! Don't worry; I'm hyped about this too!"

_"I can sense a bond of trust coming from him..."_ Ren thought.

_**"I am thou, thou art I... thou hast acquired a new vow.** _

_**It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.** _

_**With the birth of the Chariot Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessings that shall lead to freedom and new power..."**_ These words rang inside Ren's head softly.

  
"Oh..." Ryuji trailed at the sound of his stomach growling, "Right, I haven't eaten anything since lunch. It'd be weird splittin' off now, so why don't we grab a bite somewhere?"

"Thanks, but I'm not--" Ren's words were cut off by the sound of his own stomach growling loudly.

"Haha, your stomach tells another story." Ryuji laughed, "Just follow me. I mean, I totally gotta hear about your past!"

*******

**_\------Ogikubo Ramen------_ **

Ryuji took Ren to a ramen shop called Ogikubo which was a favorite spot of his where he used to hang out there quite often in the past during middle school days and his first year of high school. It looked normal, yet the atmosphere was lovely and simple inside, giving a sudden wave of relief to Ren that he was able to momentarily forget the tiredness he felt. And even though Ryuji was the one who awakened his Persona and drained his stamina mostly, he still looked as energetic and alive as always. They sat at a table and ordered two bowls of ramen before indulging in light conversations regarding various topics from video games, movies, and other stuff--they talked like old friends who knew one another all their lives. When their orders arrived, Ren told the blonde-haired his entire story in detail about his failed attempt at rescuing the woman from the drunk man; every word, every moment, every emotion he thought and felt back then, he never left out any of them and made sure to mention them.

It was painful.

"WHAT?! The hell, man! How much shittier can that asshole get?!" Ryuji shouted as he stopped eating.

"Calm down! You're making a commotion. Plus, it's all in the past now..." Ren whispered.

"Are you for real? If it was me, I wouldn't calm down until I punched that dick in the face."

"........" Ren grunted.

"So... you left your hometown, and you're livin' here now, huh?" Ryuji continued eating.

"Pretty much..." Ren replied while swirling his chopsticks in his ramen.

"You miss your home?"

"........" Ren paused from taking the bite as he placed the chopsticks down and lowered his face.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean...!" Ryuji said nervously.

"Don't worry about it. Actually, what would I miss in my hometown? My old classmates, who bullied me before I got expelled? Or the unexplainable looks of my parents before I came here? So no. I don't miss it at all."

"We might be more alike than I originally thought." Ryuji hummed to himself.

"What did you do?" Ren asked.

"I don't get a record like you do. I mean, that's not the point. I guess it's how we're treated like a pain in the ass by the people around us, like we don't belong."

"I know how that feels..." Ren trailed while burying his face in his palm.

_**"The verdict, one year of probation for the defendant, Ren Amamiya."** _

"........" Ren stayed quiet after recalling the awful memories of his trial.

"I did something stupid at school before, too." Ryuji blurred out while finishing his bowl in one go.

_"Did something stupid too?"_ Ren thought.

"By the way in the castle, you mentioned that you lost a childhood friend. What do you mean by that?" Ren asked.

"........." Ryuji fell awfully quiet.

".........?" Ren tilted his head.

"Can we not talk about this...?" Ryuji asked, looking hurt.

"Sorry..." Ren stared at his lap.

"The place you're livin' now is in... Yongen, right? It's rush hour on the subways. I suggest you kill some time before headin' home."

"I think I'll do just that."

"But listen, you didn't even do anything wrong." Ryuji spoke before shoving the rice in his mouth.

"........?!" Ren looked at him shockingly.

"You can't just walk away when someone's in trouble, right? That's why you helped her. How is that wrong? It ain't at all!"

"........!" Ren widened his eyes again.

"What the hell, man. You barely touched your food." Ryuji grinned while placing ginger into Ren's food.

"I can do that myself, you know." Ren protested.

"Just lemme do it. I gotta thank you for helpin' me. Anyways, I got your back like you got mine from tomorrow on. As long as we do something about Kamoshida, I'm sure we'll both feel better about bein' at school."

"You got that right."

"Oh yeah! Tell me your number. Chat ID too." Ryuji pulled his phone out.

"Sure thing." Ren agreed as he pulled his own phone out, exchanging contact info.

"Just you wait, Kamoshida... we're gonna start right away tomorrow. First, let's hit up those guys that were kept as slaves." Ryuji muttered angrily, "The volleyball rally's tomorrow, huh? Shit's recommended by Kamoshida. Makes me wanna gag. But thanks to that, we got no classes in the afternoon, and we can walk around unnoticed. Well, I guess we can work out the details tomorrow..."

"All right then. Our investigation starts tomorrow."

"C'mon, you gotta eat more. There's tons of ginger here." Ryuji placed more ginger into Ren's food.

"Um..." Ren sweatdropped.

"Come to think of it, I never gave you my name yet. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto. Just call me Ryuji, Renren."

"Sure. Nice to meet you, Sakamoto."

"Asshole." Ryuji sweatdropped comically.

*******

_**\-------Meanwhile: Shujin Academy-------** _

Two girls were sitting next to each other on a bench at Shujin's courtyard and chatting together while laughing every now and then by their own words from the topics they were discussing. They chatted so casually and happily with one another, indulged in their own company and the quietness of the courtyard as the cool and gentle breeze blew over them and the trees around them. One of the two girls was Takamaki herself, and the other who sat next to her had brown eyes and dark black hair in a ponytail tied with a pink hairband. She wore her uniform without the black blazer: a beige sweater rolled up to her elbows and the standard uniform skirt. She had a black leg brace on her right leg. Around her elbows and under her skirt, she had black bandages of some sort that could be seen and wore white running shoes.

"I-I haven't been sleeping well lately... whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about so many things..." The downtrodden girl looked down.

"Shiho..." Takamaki trailed.

"Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking... should someone like me really be on the starting lineup...?" The girl named Shiho asked herself.

"Don't worry. Just be confident in yourself! Your skills have been recognized! It's all because you work harder than anyone else!" Takamaki flashed a cheerful grin.

".........." Shiho fell quiet before talking, "Yeah... volleyball's all I have, after all..."

"More importantly, was that injury okay? It looked really swollen." Takamaki said worriedly.

"No, it's nothing. It's normal... especially since a meet's coming up..."

".........."

"Sorry to interrupt, Suzui." A quiet student approached the girls, "Um... Mr. Kamoshida told me to get you."

"Huh? What does he want...?" Shiho widened her eyes as a cold sweat rolled down her face.

"He didn't say..." The quiet student looked away.

".........." Shiho grunted, "Ann, I..."

".........." Ann looked troubled too before shaking her head, "It'll be fine! I bet it's a meeting about the starting lineup or something."

".........." Shiho looked at her friend while smiling weakly, "...Yeah. Well, I better go..." She stood up.

"Yep. Good luck!" Ann flashed another cheerful grin.

The dark-haired girl nodded at her friend's statement and left along with the quiet student to Kamoshida but in reality, she was scared to the bones and panicked mentally, trying her best not to show it. She stole a quick glance back at Ann who still maintained her cheerful and kind smile toward her best friend, causing the smallest wave of relief to overcome Shiho. Whenever she was scared or distressed, Ann somehow always found the perfect way to cheer her up and ease her worries even in the slightest bit which was more than enough to face whatever was waiting for her. So, she left the courtyard with those thoughts in mind, leaving Ann all alone behind with her own train of endless thoughts, her fingers dug into her red leggings as her breath hitched.

"Hang in there, Shiho...!" Ann mumbled.

_**"The truth is, I love your hair!"** _

_**"Huh? Seriously...!?"** _

"Idiot..." Ann mumbled to herself again while rubbing her arm after recalling that memory.

_"Why are you making this so hard on me?"_

_"Sakamoto..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll stop here! Man, the progress is going rather smoothly, huh?
> 
> I wonder about Ann's flashback though... I wonder about that...
> 
> However, THE NEW GIRL FINALLY MAKES HER DEBUT AND THE NEW BOY APPEARS AGAIN, WOOHOO!!!
> 
> With that aside, hope you'd wait for the next chapter patiently.
> 
> Published on: Sun/May 17/2020


	8. Chapter 04

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Words can hurt more than beating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fourth chapter is all up and here! Please, go on and have fun!

**_\------Evening:_ ** **_Leblanc_ ** **_\------_ **

The cool night wind blew over Ren's face, causing a few strands of his hair to fall upon his face. He brushed them away with his fingers as he made his way into the familiar alley. A deep and distressed sigh escaped his lips feeling exhaustion rushing through his body as he reached the entrance of Leblanc. Slowly, Ren opened the door to get greeted by the warmth of the café along with the sight of Sojiro sitting by the counter and reading a newspaper.

"...You're home." Sojiro spoke, "I take it you actually went to school today?"

"Of course." Ren nodded.

"I guess you learned your lesson after what happened yesterday. Eh, as long as you're not getting into trouble, it's fine by me." Sojiro swung his arm in the air.

"........."

"What's the story of this bandage anyway?" Sojiro pointed at a bandage on Ren's left cheek.

"Volleyball."

"I don't know what you've been up to, but trust me, you'll be gone if you start causing problems. In case you forget, your life is not a free one right now."

"I know."

**_Pi_ **

**_Pi_ **

**_Pi_ **

"Hm...?" Ren picked his phone up to see that he received an IM from the person he just shared his contact info with earlier that day.

_Ryuji: Hey, I decided to go ahead and message you._

_Ryuji: Can you see this?_

_Ren: Yep._

_Ryuji: I'm gonna be counting on you tomorrow, okay?_

_Ren: Got it._

_Ryuji: You're a bro, man..._

_Ryuji: Welp, seeya tomorrow!_

_Ryuji: Let's save those guys who've been getting abused. You and me._

"...Sheesh, are you even listening to me?" Sojiro sighed impatiently.

"Ah, yes." Ren put his phone back into his pocket.

"Just stay away from bad influences, okay?"

Nodding to his guardian, Ren walked up the stairs to his room to get some sleep. He heard the door's bell jingling and a locking sound which could only mean that Sojiro left home and locked up behind him. Unable to stand anymore, Ren threw his body on the bed feeling the strong urge to sleep, however, Ryuji decided to text him yet again.

_Ryuji: That thingy on your phone was some red eyeball icon, right?_

_Ren: Right._

_Ryuji: We ended up at that weird place we used this nav app, right?_

_Ryuji: I found it on my phone too..._

_Ryuji: I don't even remember installing it!_

_Ren: That's creepy._

_Ryuji: For real. What is this thing...?_

_Ryuji: I think it's being downloaded on its own somehow?_

_Ryuji: It's dangerous to use something without knowing what it is..._

_Ryuji: But with it, we can go to that weird place, right?_

_Ren: Seems like it._

_Ryuji: Basically, it's gonna depend on how we use it._

_Ryuji: But first, we gotta find evidence on the beating._

_Ryuji: I'm counting on you, all right? Don't go ditching school on me._

Ren didn't even have the chance to put his phone away since his arm almost immediately fell down on the bed with the phone in it. His eyelids felt heavy and slowly began closing to envelop the world around him in black and drift away to dreamland.

*******

_**\------Velvet Room------** _

The sound of chains clanking together echoed in his ears, but it wasn't a strange voice to him anymore. He grew used to it. Ren's eyes fluttered open as he woke up noticing himself in a locked cell. He remembered that place as "The Velvet Room," thus he walked towards the cell's door seeing Igor waiting for him and the twin wardens standing as guards in front of it.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you." Igor explained, "What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?"

"Yeah, I guess I am..." Ren trailed.

"Ah, glad to hear it. It seems you have nerves of steel. Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped. Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But today, you entered a partnership with someone who awoke to the same power, haven't you?"

"A partnership? You mean Sakamoto?"

"Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. You've done well. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals of faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well."

"Personas are the strength of heart... the stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain." Justine added calmly.

"There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn't. You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We'll change that into power." Caroline stated with an attitude.

"Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition. We have a deal then." Igor chuckled.

 _"It feels like Igor has high expectations of me..."_ Ren thought.

"Well, you will understand it all in due time... continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation."

"Very well..."

"Ah, before I forget. There's something I'd like to mention as well. During your rehabilitation, you'll come to encounter a person in which your heart will get tied to."

"Hm? My heart tied to that person? Who's that?" Ren asked.

"That is an answer you will find by yourself." Igor replied.

"Now, this conversation's over! Get lost, Inmate!" Caroline shouted impatiently.

*******

_**\------Time Skip: The Next Day------** _

On the way to school, Ren had a troubled look on his face as he made his way between the crowd of students. He pulled his phone out to stare at the Metaverse Navigator app recalling the events that happened in the castle once more. His awakening, the tortured and enslaved students, Ryuji's awakening, and everything... even the screams and calls for help of the beaten students still pierced through his ears. And yet, he was walking right behind two first-year students, thus he was able to listen to the whole conversation.

"How annoying--we've barely started high school, and already they're making us play at a volleyball rally? And why are they putting us against the Teacher Team? Kamoshida's gonna crush us."

"We get to see his technique live and in person, though. We should totally get spiked on!"

"Yeah, okay. You're gonna get your face smashed in. Just look at how bandaged up the volleyball team is. What the hell goes on during their practices?"

Indeed... what the hell was going on with those practices? Ren didn't even want to imagine it.

*******

_**\-------Shujin Academy: Gymnasium------** _

The volleyball rally began in the gym between the team of students and the team of teachers. The cheering voices of enthusiastic students standing around the court were filling the entire room. And most of them were cheering on the same name which is none other than Kamoshida. The volleyball coach spiked a ball that caused the dark-haired quiet student to fall down on the waxed floor.

"Nice toss!"

"Man, you've still got it, Coach!" A male teacher gave Kamoshida a high five.

"Thanks. Let's go for one more!" Kamoshida exclaimed.

The match resumed as the cheering voices went higher than before, then the dark-haired quiet student looked down while taking a few steps backward as if he was feeling ashamed of himself. Ann was sitting on a chair outside the court twirling her hair. She was quiet and still on the exact opposite of all the students who were standing and cheering on loudly and lively. On the floor, there sat Ryuji and Ren distancing themselves away from the others watching the match going on.

"Still sticks out... hasn't changed a bit." Ryuji mumbled to himself while stealing glances at Ann.

"Pretty boring. Right?" The blonde-haired stretched his arms and pretended to be sleepy while looking at his friend playfully who just chuckled.

Ren looked once again at Ann in awe who was sitting there in the distance and her fingers playing with her ash blonde locks before looking back at his friend who already closed his eyes in boredom. However, what caught his attention was the sight of the mean brown-haired girl who was nothing but hostile to him since day one sitting on the floor across him and looking away from the entire match as if nothing of what's been happening around her meant something at all.

"Why're you starin' at Mikki like that?" Ryuji seemed to notice Ren stares.

"You know her?"

"........." Ryuji sighed to himself deeply, "Her name is Emiko Hayashi, but I call her Mikki. You see, we were... childhood friends."

"Were?"

"...I dunno why, but she stopped talking to me three years ago after her dad died. I keep askin' myself, what did I do wrong?"

"That's what you meant by you lost a childhood friend back at the castle?" Ren questioned.

"Yeah... but why you wanna know?"

"Well..." Ren hesitated, "She was really rude to me with no reason ever since I transferred here."

".........." Ryuji looked over at Emiko's direction with eyes filled with sorrow, "Mikki, what's gotten into you...?"

However, a powerful sound caught back the attention of both the boys. They looked at its source to see that Kamoshida spiked a powerful ball towards the side of the students' team, too powerful for a friendly match. The ball flew at an inhuman speed towards the students' team and forcefully hit the face of the dark-haired quiet student which caused him to fall down on the floor knocked out. Surprised gasps began arousing as the poor boy laid down without moving a single inch of his slender body.

"Sorry! Hey, are you alright?!" Kamoshida ran to him, "Someone! Take him to the nurse's office!"

And yet, while they were picking the knocked boy up, Emiko's blank facial expression changed entirely to a whole different one. She sent deadly glares at the teacher before taking the boy away. Chills ran through Ren's spine again as he remembered the same look on her face she gave to Ann on his way to school during his first day. It was exactly the same devilish and monstrous glare in her eyes as if she was a predator ready to hunt down her prey.

"He'll pay soon enough..." Ryuji mumbled while tossing a volleyball away from him.

"All right, let's resume the match!" Kamoshida exclaimed while Ann was looking at him blankly.

*******

_**\------The Courtyard------** _

Standing with Ryuji in the courtyard, Ren recalled the events of the rally and how Kamoshida powerfully spiked the boy's face. He also remembered the so-called Emiko Hayashi and wondered what could've happened to her three years ago to the point of stopping to talk with her childhood friend. Ren felt like those answers were far from reach, but one thing was for sure to him. Ryuji has been suffering a lot ever since. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like to lose a very close friend whom he must've spent most of his life with.

_"Emiko Hayashi..."_

"That asshole's actin' like a king over here too..." Ryuji was cursing under his breath, "Get to know each other better, my ass. It was only a one-sided match for him to stroke his ego. And how he acted like he was worried about Mishima? What an abusive d-bag...!"

"That was a very strong spike for only a friendly match, though." Ren added.

"...Well, anyways. Now's our chance to go look for the guys we saw were slaves yesterday. Let's look for the faces we saw at the castle. All the members of the team should be here today. I'll be sure to find someone to spill about Kamoshida's physical abuse. Just you wait, asshole."

"All right, see you later."

"You're comin' with me too!"

"Who we'll question first?"

"...The first one that popped out was a guy in Class D, so let's start from there. That's your class. Hopefully you can talk to him without any issues. People have been avoidin' me lately, so... okay, but you're kinda in the same boat, huh."

"All right then."

*******

 _ **\------Class 2**_ - _ **D-------**_

Ren's mind kept asking him endless questions as he and Ryuji walked together towards the wanted classroom. So many things were happening with Ren, and yet he couldn't even find a single answer to his questions. And after knowing who the mean girl was, Ren's questions increased even more. He was brought back to reality by the voice of the door opening by Ryuji where they found one of the volleyball team members injured and bruised like the others too.

"What...? Oh! Are you skipping out on the volleyball rally? I guess I can expect it from you, transfer." A scared volleyball player stated.

"Hey, that's the guy who was over at the castle." Ryuji whispered.

"You too, Sakamoto?! What do you guys want...?"

"How did you get injured?" Ren asked.

"It's from practice! What does that have to do with anything?"

"Kamoshida did it to you, right? Look, I ain't gonna tell anyone you squealed. Just tell us about how Kamoshida's abusin' you." Ryuji said.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Are you afraid?" Ren asked.

"I'm not! You guys are talking complete nonsense!"

"Don't try n' hide it! We already know!" Ryuji insisted.

"You... You know? You have proof?"

"Well, uh... I..." Ryuji stuttered.

"This is ridiculous. Please leave me alone. You're really bothering me!"

"Wait--" Ren got interrupted.

"...All right, that's enough. C'mon, let's go." Ryuji walked out.

That result was pretty much expected; Ren saw it coming. He knew then, and he knows better now. The storm of the unsettling rumors regarding him was getting the better of him. At first, he thought that he didn't mind, but he began having a second thought about this whole mess. Who started the rumor? It was a question that never left Ren's head since the previous day. He doubted it was Kamoshida's doing, but wasn't too sure about such an accusation without concrete evidence to support that thesis. Then he remembered another thing.

Emiko accidentally slipped her tongue saying that there were rumors regarding her too. What were those rumors as well?

"That injury ain't normal! And he still won't fess up... crap, if we keep goin' at this pace, the ball's game gonna end..." Ryuji knitted his eyebrows.

"Let's split up. That should make things faster." Ren suggested.

"Guess that'd be faster. I'll check the Practice Building for people before clubs start. You handle the Classroom Building. There's a third-year on the volleyball team that I remember. I think he's in... 3-C? He might be around his classroom. The third-years classes are on the first floor. He was gettin' beaten pretty badly at the castle. He might have some injuries here too..."

"Leave it to me."

"Anyways, I'll hit you up if I find anything. Seeya!"

"Oh, Senpai!"

The two boys whipped their heads to the side to see the very same green-haired plain-looking male student whom Ren encountered twice already; on his way to his first day at Shujin under the rain and after Kamoshida spiked his face the other day. The first-year walked toward the two in his gym uniform with a polite smile on his face while giving them a small wave, earning a confused look and a raised eyebrow from Ryuji who glanced back at Ren.

"Who's that?" Ryuji whispered.

"He's a first-year who I met only twice." Ren replied.

"Hey, there, Senpai. How are you doing today?" The green-haired boy approached them.

"I'm fine, thanks." Ren nodded.

"I see that you no longer need your bandage and the bruise is almost gone. Oh, thank goodness... I'm really glad." The first-year smiled delightfully.

"So, uh... you're a first-year, right?" Ryuji asked the boy.

"That's right."

"Mind if we ask you somethin'?"

"Um, sure. What is it?"

"Have you heard anythin' 'bout Kamoshida physically abusin' the volleyball team around you?"

"Mr. Kamoshida...? You mean the P.E teacher?! But... he really seemed like a nice teacher to me..." The boy trailed shockingly.

"Yeah... real nice." Ryuji growled under his breath.

"Now that you mention it, I always see my classmates who are members of the team with pretty bad injuries... but to imagine a teacher would harm his students like that... then again, he pretty much did spike two students powerfully in a row." The green-haired shook his head, "Sorry, my thoughts are kinda a mess now."

"Nah, it's fine. We'll just ask around more." Ryuji shrugged it off.

"I'm sorry for not being much of a help, Senpai..."

"No, not at all. Don't worry about it." Ren gave him a friendly smile.

"I'll make sure to tell you if I heard anything."

"Really?! Oh thanks, man! That'd be amazin'!" Ryuji exclaimed happily, "Well, guess we'll see you later or somethin'."

"Sure, take care."

With that said, both Ryuji and Ren walked away from the nice green-haired first year who was waving at them as they left. That kid looked genuinely kind and was the first one who never showed any signs of discomfort around Ren and Ryuji since they currently were the center of attention, after all. Ren was secretly glad to see someone who treated him differently from others, but he couldn't but feel a little bit concerned about what might happen after the boy found out the rumors about him. He'd mostly begin treating Ren like others, so he didn't have high hopes regarding that at all.

"Hey, you're Konno from our class, right?" Two male students approached the green-haired boy.

"Yeah, that's me. Is something wrong?" Konno asked worriedly.

"Why were you talking with Sakamoto and that transfer student? Don't you know who they are?" A lazy student asked.

"Excuse me?" Konno looked rather confused.

"Huh? You don't know them? The blondie's Sakamoto who's nothing but a troublemaker and has a reputation waaay ahead of him." An athletic student explained.

"And that guy with the glasses is a second-year who transferred here a few days ago and has a criminal record. He's been charged with assault." The lazy student added.

"What...?!" Konno took a step backward, "But he looked like a real nice guy."

"Looks can be deceiving, Konno. Just be careful from now on, okay?" The athletic student spoke before walking away with his friend.

Konno was left behind them all alone with a dumbfounded expression on his face, mostly looking like a complete idiot from how his eyes were wide open and mouth agape from the shock of the words that were just told to him.

"Mr. Kamoshida... physical abuse... criminal record... assault... him...?! What is going on in this school?" Konno shook his head as he mumbled to himself.

The frizzy-haired boy walked down to the first floor in the quest of searching for the member of the volleyball team in class 3-C. This was supposed to be an easy task for him, what bad things could happen to him asking a student about his injuries all alone? He was just walking inside the classroom with the good and pure intention of simply asking him about his injuries and waiting for him to slip a useful clue. It shouldn't be that hard, right?

Wrong.

"Eh? Whaddya want?" The aggressive player asked, "You got something to say?"

"How did you get hurt?" Ren asked straight to the point.

"...It's from practice."

"Hey! I know who this guy is." A glaring third-year exclaimed, "He's the transfer student who's been hanging out with Sakamoto..."

"Oh, I get it. You're trying to snoop on Mr. Kamoshida, right?" The aggressive volleyball player asked.

"What if I am?" Ren raised his eyebrow.

"Look, our volleyball team performs at the national level. Of course our practices are gonna be tough. Mr. Kamoshida is just dedicated to train us. Don't believe everything Sakamoto says." The aggressive volleyball player stated.

"You sure It's not abuse?"

"A-As if."

"Hey, we should stop talking to him. What if he loses it and starts attacking us?" The third-year eyed Ren, "I heard he even carries a knife around. Who knows what he's capable of."

With a disappointed face, Ren left deeper to the hallways leaning against a wall. His dark raven bangs shadowed his eyes entirely and thus, no clear expression could be pinpointed out of his face. His fists turned to balls and his teeth clenched against each other as tight as possible. The student's words kept lingering inside his head which was killing him from inside.

"I'm carrying a knife around...? Give me a break." Ren muttered darkly to himself.

"No, I said I didn't do it!"

".......?" That voice caught Ren's attention.

He followed where that feminine cry came from to a corner and saw a surprising sight folding in front of him. Emiko stood across Ann with an irritated and threatening look in her eyes. It seemed like a heated conversation between the two, especially how it was obvious that Emiko was confronting the ash blonde-haired about something serious.

"Oh really? I find it really difficult to believe you without proof." Emiko raised her eyebrow.

"Why would I even do that?! What makes you say that?!" Ann raised her voice.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe to shift the spotlight away from you by directing it to me?" She folded her arms, "You're the one who started the rumor about me, aren't you?"

"No! Hayashi, what is wrong with you?!"

"I should be the one asking you this question, you know."

"Ugh, you're unbelievable! I can't believe I considered you a friend before!" Ann yelled angrily.

"Yeah, me too..." Emiko knitted her eyebrows, "But be sure that I'll make you pay for this, dearly."

"Arrrgh...!" Impatiently and angrily, Ann left the area leaving the doubting Emiko standing behind.

The dark brown-haired took off her oval-lensed glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. A long, tired sigh escaped her rosy lips while shaking her head left and right. It was plainly obvious that she was stressed out by the so-called "mysterious rumors about her" and thus, with hesitation, Ren decided to approach her and kindly ask her about this, and _hopefully_ , she'd be more polite with him this time.

But it was a bad idea. A very bad one.

"Um, Hayashi-San?"

"WHAT?!" Emiko gave Ren even a more evil, deadly, and angry look.

".........!"

"Wait, my name. How did you--" Emiko paused her sentence before shaking her head, "Ryuji, huh? That idiot..."

She adjusted herself before looking at Ren dangerously.

"Look Amamiya, I'm really not in the mood to talk to anyone. _Especially_ not with you."

"Your conversation with Takamaki-San just now." Ren stated.

"What does it have to do with you?"

"I just want to ask you about the rumors regarding you--"

"Or what? You're going to assault me?" Emiko furrowed her eyebrows while glaring at the raven-haired.

"W-What...?!"

That was it.

"That's what I thought. Get off my way!" Emiko violently pushed Ren away from her and walked away at a fast pace.

He was just glued at his spot shocked and disbelieved as he watched that girl disappearing into the distance.

*******

The sound of splashing echoed through the walls of the boys' bathroom as the water was running from the tap. Then, it was followed by the squeaky voice of its closure before an utter and killing silence enveloped the bathroom wholly, accomplished by a single voice.

_**Drip** _

_**Drip** _

Water trickled down from Ren's hair and face down into the porcelain sink. His hands gripped tightly on the sides of the sink as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Ren's grey eyes were dull and tired and the frown never escaped his lips recalling everything that was said to him by the students.

 **_"But he might slug us if we look him in the eye..."_ **

**_"He seems quiet... but I bet when he loses it..."_ **

**_"I mean, he was arrested for assault, right...?"_ **

**_"I heard he even carries a knife around. Who knows what he's capable of."_ **

**_"Or what? You're going to assault me?"_ **

The last sentence really struck a _very_ sensitive nerve within him. He was innocent and he knew it better than anyone else, but no one would believe him or even bother themselves to hear the story from his words. Ever since day one, he was judged by everyone whenever and wherever he walked in the school unjustly and unfairly. The grip of his fingers around the sink tightened as he lowered his face down, allowing water to drip down faster. His arms and hands began shaking, his breath hitched, and his heart beating pace quickened. It was close to arrhythmia.

"D-Damn it..." Soft sobs slipped from Ren.

He hated it. He hated every single moment of it; this helplessness and hopelessness. He wished if it could just stop; all the rumors and stares following him around. His classmates, schoolmates, guardian... they all gave him the same look of disapproval or fear like he was a time bomb ready to explode at any minute. Why should he suffer like that only because he wanted to help a woman in need? But Emiko Hayashi? She was a whole different story. He never hated someone in his whole life the way he did to her that moment. Her rudeness and hostility were just _unjustified_. He didn't understand what he did to her to act in such a way.

He hated her. So much.

"No, I can't think like that." Ren told himself while wiping the mix of tears and water away from his face.

He took a deep breath in and out to maintain his sanity as well as slapping both of his cheeks softly to stay focused. He had a task in hand and needed to uncover the truth of Kamoshida's abuse, so he couldn't allow such negative emotions to take over him like that so easily. Plus, that wasn't his nature, he never learned to hate anyone in his life. What interrupted Ren's long train of thought was the soft vibrating sound of his phone. He already had a good idea of what that could be, and so he quickly dried his face and hands, put his glasses back again before pulling the phone out of his pocket.

And his hunch was true.

_Ryuji: How's it going?_

_Sorry, I can't do this anymore_ , is what Ren wanted to type so badly, but he remembered that Ryuji stated multiple times that he counted on him. Instead, his lips curved upwards forming a smile after remembering Ryuji's words and the silly nickname he came up with and began typing on his keyboard.

_Ren: He refused._

_Ryuji: Him too?! Man... everyone's too freaked out about Kamoshida._

_Ryuji: But I still got a lead. A first-year, new member._

_Ryuji: He just joined, so might not be wrapped up in Kamoshida's web of bullshit yet._

_Ryuji: Pretty sure he's in class 1-B._

_Ryuji: Try the first-year classrooms. They're up on the third floor._

_Ren: Got it._

_Ryuji: You're the best, Renren!_

The same nickname caused a light chuckle to escape Ren as he rolled his eyes. He placed the phone back in the pocket of his gym uniform before taking a deep breath and moving his hand to grab the doorknob. A wave of hesitation came over Ren but decided to shake it off and opened the door to continue the investigation.

He had to do it.

For Ryuji at least.

Yeah, he had to.

*******

 _ **\------Class 1**_ - _ **B------**_

Those looks still followed Ren as he made his way up the stairs to the third floor, but thought it'd be better and less troublesome to just ignore them and continue walking. On the way, he stumbled upon Emiko who was walking down the stairs, and gave him her signature icy cold and fiery glare before walking away again. Ren narrowed his eyes at her attitude which was in his opinion even worse than Caroline's. The more he thought of the reason behind her action, the less logical it became. Shaking his head, Ren decided not to tire himself by thinking about it as he reached the door of the classroom.

"Excuse me, but are you on the volleyball team?" Ren stepped in.

"H-Huh? Y-Yeah I'm on the volleyball team." The first-year said while bruises covering his face, "Whaddya want?"

"I need information."

"What's that supposed to mean? Look, don't wrap me up in whatever weird stuff you're getting yourself into. Besides, Mr. Kamoshida doesn't want us to talk to sketchy people like you. If he saw me here he'd totally give me his **'special coaching'** just like he did with _**Mishima-Senpai**_..."

"What? Special coaching? What kind of coaching is that?"

"O-Oh, uh... never mind! Forget I said anything." The first-year shook his head nervously.

"Mishima?"

"P-Please.... just stop talking to me..." The first-year went pale, "Ask someone else if you wanna know anything more."

 _ **"Attention! Attention!"**_ The school broadcast said from the microphones scattered around the school hallways, _**"All matches have concluded. Please get ready to go home for today..."**_

This was the kiss of goodbye for this investigation. They ran out of time, and Ren definitely didn't see it coming since he long lost his track of time. Or perhaps not exactly the goodbye kiss. An actual lead finally came up. Ren's phone buzzed again to receive another text message from the blondie.

_Ryuji: Dammit, we're outta time! How'd it go?_

_Ren: Take a wild guess._

_Ryuji: So you didn't have any luck either..._

_Ryuji: Mkay, let's regroup for now. See you in the courtyard?_

"Looks like regrouping is our best strategy for now..." Ren sighed to himself.

*******

_**\------The Courtyard------** _

The raven-haired arrived at the courtyard before his friend which was pretty expected of him. As he waited for Ryuji to arrive, he decided to occupy himself by quickly surfing the internet. His finger scrolled down many articles and pages online, and his eyes wandered aimlessly for anything to catch his attention. That was when he stumbled upon an article titled "A Thirteen-Year-Old Girl Shot Her Own Father."Now, such a catchy title like that _really_ did pique both Ren's attention and curiosity. He attempted to open and read what was written in that article when unexpectedly Ann Takamaki approached him.

"Can I talk to you for a sec...?"

"What is it?"

"It'll be quick. Anyway, what's with you? Like, how you were late the other day was a lie and all." Ann folded her arms, "...There's that weird rumor about you too."

"Whaddya want with him?" Ryuji arrived with an angry look on his face.

"Right back at you. You're not even in our class." Ann replied angrily.

"...We just happened to get to know each other." Ryuji spoke with an uncertain tone in his voice.

"What are you planning on doing to Mr. Kamoshida?" Ann asked angrily, crossing her arms.

"Huh?!" Ryuji dumbfounded, "...I see. I getcha. You're all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all."

"This has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto!"

"If you found out what he's been doin' behind your back, you'd dump him right away."

"Behind my back...? What's that supposed to mean...?"

"You wouldn't get it."

"Anyway, people are already talking about you two. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but no one's gonna help you."

"If someone is in trouble I'll be there to help with no questions asked." Ren spoke firmly.

"Renren..." Ryuji trailed.

"I'm warning you, just in case. That's all." Ann regained her calmness before walking away.

"Why's she gotta be so aggressive all the time...?" Ryuji asked himself angrily.

"You know her?" Ren questioned.

"We just went to the middle school." Ryuji replied, "Anyways, that's not what we're here to talk about. I had no luck at my end. What about you? Did anything like someone's name turn up?"

"It's Mishima." Ren sighed.

"Huh?" Ryuji was dumbfounded, "...Special **'coaching'** huh? True. I always see the guy covered in bruises. Let's go talk to him before he leaves then."

"Let's do it!" Ren exclaimed before they both walked away.

*******

The group of the two teenagers Ren and Ryuji walked together in the quest of looking for the dark-haired volleyball player Yuuki Mishima; his classmate. He was inhumanly and brutally bruised and all bandaged up. Ren wanted to ask him about the reason behind that on his first day, but well... luckily, they saw him just about to leave the school's building with his bag hanging on his shoulder. He kept looking around him left and right while walking carefully towards the exit as if he was scared of something particular.

Or running away from _someone_.

"Hey, got a second?" Ryuji called him.

"Sakamoto...?" Mishima widened his eyes when he spotted Ren, "And you too, Amamiya...!?"

"C'mon, we just wanna chat. Kamoshida's been **'coaching'** you, huh? You sure It's not just physical abuse?" Ryuji asked.

"Certainly not!"

"What're you talkin' all polite for? Anyways... we saw him spike you today. Right in the face."

"That was just because I'm not good at the sport..."

"...Still, that doesn't explain all the other bruises you've got." Ren fixed the position of his glasses.

"They're from practice...!"

"Is he forcing you to keep quiet?"

"That's..."

"What's going on here?" Kamoshida suddenly showed up.

The timing was just _so_ perfect.

"Mishima, isn't it time for practice?"

"I-I'm not feeling well today..."

"What? Maybe you're better off quitting then. You're never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up for practice."

"Didn't you hear? He ain't feelin' well!" Ryuji glared at the PE teacher deadly.

"Calm down." Ren whispered quietly.

"Well, Mishima? Are you coming to practice or not?"

"...I'll go."

"But, Mishima--" Ren got interrupted.

"As for you, any more troubles and you'll be gone from this school for sure," Kamoshida warned the blonde-haired while glaring at them.

"Bastard..." Ryuji mumbled angrily as his blood was boiling within him.

"Same goes for you. Didn't the principal tell you to keep in line?" Kamoshida asked Ren while the frizzy-haired kept quiet while glaring at him angrily.

"You have an amazing spike, Mr. Kamoshida." In mere seconds, Ren flashed a fake smile, yet looked so real.

"Hmph. Just don't get in the way of my practice. All these unsettling rumors are making the students anxious after all." Kamoshida scoffed.

"That's your own goddamn fault!" Ryuji kept glaring at him.

"Tch, this won't get us anywhere." Kamoshida clicked his tongue annoyingly, "Let's go, Mishima."

As Kamoshida took a few steps away, he paused saying, "Shujin Academy is a place where those with aspirations come to learn. Unworthy students like yourselves don't have any right to be here." Then told Mishima, "Get with the program!"

"Yes, sir." Mishima replied obediently as Kamoshida walked away.

"That asshole... he's gonna pay for this...!" Ryuji muttered angrily.

"...There's no point." Mishima said sadly while shaking his head.

"Huh?" Ren questioned.

"Proving that he's physically abusing us... is meaningless..." Mishima looked down, "Everybody knows... the principal, our parents... they all know, and they all keep quiet about it."

"This is gotta be a joke!" Ryuji widened his eyes while backing away a bit.

"No... I don't think that's a joke." Ren folded his arms.

"...Don't be a pain. You don't understand what I'm going through. Shouldn't you of all people know that nothing's going to help...?! Nothing's going to help!" Mishima cried out as he ran away.

"Dammit..." Ryuji clenched his fists.

"This is even worse than I thought..." Ren trailed, "What now?"

"I'll try one more time to persuade the other guys. That's... all I can do." Ryuji punched the wall, "Dammit Why?!"

"........" Ren stayed quiet.

"I'll go home now..." Ryuji turned his back, "Well, seeya."

Ren watched Ryuji's figure disappear in the distance as he stood still in his spot. Both of his fists balled as he lowered his face down. It was all coming together to him, the pieces of the puzzle started falling in place, but it was brutal and cruel. None of those innocent students deserved what was happening to them from physical abuse and everyone keeping quiet about it from school to their parents.

He didn't want anyone to suffer the same injustice as he did.

"What... what am I supposed to do?"

*******

_**\------Meanwhile: Shujin's Hallways------** _

The _abusive_ coach was making his way down the hallways to the gym to start yet another day of unbearable sessions of beating up. It was the same nightmare repeating itself for the volleyball team over and over and over again like an endless loop of pain, bruises, injuries, and unanswered cries of help.

It was despair taking its purest form.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kamoshida?" Emiko walked towards him.

Bad idea.

"Hm, Hayashi? You haven't gone home yet?"

"I was hoping I can talk with you for a bit. In private if possible."

"Of course. I have a few minutes to spare before practice." Kamoshida gave her his signature grin, "Would you like to talk in the PE faculty office?"

"Sure."

Agreeing to his suggestion, Emiko walked behind Kamoshida towards the office, and yet she kept her guard up and sent him her glares behind his back. She was especially cautious around him despite his kind and energetic grins because she heard the rumors about him and had her own suspicions. They reached the office and Kamoshida closed the door behind them.

"Hm?"

Unbeknownst to the teacher and the female student, Konno was passing by that very same hallway with a trash can in hand since it was his class's turn to clean the school after classes ended. He spotted Kamoshida and Emiko talking, though he wasn't able to distinguish what they were talking about due to the distance between them, thus he felt suspicious and ended up following them from behind. They reached the office and Kamoshida closed the door behind them, completely unaware of the presence of a third party, Konno, who stood right outside the closed door to listen carefully to their conversation.

Of course.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Hayashi?" Kamoshida sat on a chair.

"I'll go straight to the point. You heard the rumors about me, haven't you?"

"...Sigh, I did. I was very shocked when I first heard it, but don't worry. I didn't believe it. You're not the type of person to do that."

"Did you force Takamaki to start it? Or started it yourself?"

"What? What makes you say that?"

"I have my reasons."

"Look, Hayashi, you can't just throw baseless accusations on people without a proof--"

"But I do have proof."

"Huh?"

"What do you think will happen to your career once I show my evidence to the principal and the faculty? Oh, I can totally imagine it right now!"

"I don't know what you're talking about--"

"Save it. You just gave me the classic look of shame and guilt which'll only back up my proof."

"Listen here, you bitch." Kamoshida kicked the chair behind as he stood up.

".......!"

"I stayed quiet while you kept disrespecting me. How dare you come here and act like you're someone important or higher than me?!" He squeezed her arm tightly.

"Ow...!" A cry of pain came from Emiko.

His grip was crazily strong since he was an athlete of course.

"If you dare to open your mouth..." He whispered closely to her ear, " _ **I'll take your innocence away.**_ "

"Wh-What?!"

"You don't have any evidence, do you? You only wanted to see what my reaction will be."

"........." Emiko narrowed her eyes.

"I promise you, Hayashi, that not only Takamaki will suffer, but your dear Sakamoto too. I know you two were childhood friends."

"You... you son of a--"

_**SLAP!** _

Emiko fell down on the floor from the power of the slap and laid down. She struggled to stand up and lift her face exposing the fresh red mark on her cheek. Her calm and cool attitude was completely wiped away as horror and fear aroused on her face.

"There's more waiting for you if you don't behave yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you."

He grabbed and lifted her by the hair while muttering that threat, and that said, Kamoshida threw the girl back on the floor before leaving the office and slammed the door behind him. Konno had already fled the scene and hid behind a corner before Kamoshida could go out of the room and spot him but not before the teacher taking a look of suspicion around him as he disappeared into the hallways. Tears rolled down from Emiko's face on the floor while covering her mouth so that her sobs and hiccups wouldn't come out. She surrendered to crying by burying her face into both of her hands while kneeling down.

She had never felt so helpless before.

"Senpai!" Konno rushed inside of the office.

".........?!" Emiko looked at him with a panicked expression.

"Oh god... are you okay?! Here, let me help you--"

Before Konno could offer his hand to Emiko, she slammed it away harshly.

"Wha--" Konno was purely shocked.

"No...! Don't touch me! Stay away from me!" She screamed in terror.

"But, Senpai--"

"Leave me alone!" She cried before standing up and running out of the room.

Konno stood behind alone inside the P.E faculty office with his hand extended toward the entrance before he brought it down again with a hurt expression on his face. That girl looked in serious pain after that slap... and that threat of taking away her innocence, rumors about her-- he heard it all from outside the door. He was shocked... no, he was beyond simply being shocked or confused since there were no words that could possibly describe the rush of the emotions he felt at that moment. Konno had just indirectly discovered the true colors of a teacher who masked his face with wide smiles and turned to be none of what he showed at all.

"What should I do...? I don't understand anything anymore!" Konno cried out in desperation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nuuuuuuuu, ma three babies are suffering so much! ;-;
> 
> I just hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter and hopefully, you'd wait for the next update patiently.
> 
> Published on: Sun/May 31/2020


	9. Chapter 05

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her unanswered cries pierced through his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world! I'm back with a new update! Horaaay! :D  
> So if you guys are cool with that, sit down, relax, and enjoy~

**_\------Evening: Leblanc's Attic-------_ **

That night was calm for Ren and felt a tinge of peace from the cozy atmosphere of his room. It felt so welcoming, nostalgic, and kind at the same time; another sensation of home. His tired grey eyes were fixed on a single point on the wooden ceiling above him staring into space. Moonlight crept out from the dark clouds and made its way from the small window of the attic to illuminate Ren's pale face. With that, Ren sat on the bed to look at the window unable to explain the feeling that was swirling in his chest.

Sadness perhaps?

He didn't know why, but the image of his parents crossed his mind and how he'd stand by the frame of his bedroom's window as a kid making wishes to the stars and let the moon be the witness of his innocent and pure words. His mother would assure him that all of his dreams will come true one day. That memory drew a sad smile over Ren's lips as he stared at the starry and clear sky with his dull eyes.

But then...

_Ryuji: Hey, this don't make any damn sense._

_Ryuji: The principal and even the parents know about the abuse._

_Ryuji: Why ain't anybody speaking up?!_

_Ren: Probably because they're afraid of him._

_Ren: But even though..._

_Ryuji: That can't be the only thing keeping both the principal and the parents quiet though..._

_Ren: True._

_Ryuji: It's basically because Kamoshida made the volleyball team famous, yeah?_

_Ryuji: Even so, that_ _don't_ _give him the right to do whatever he wants._

_Ryuji: He's beating kids up, and all they're allowed to do is endure._

_Ryuji: And that follower of his doesn't give one single shit..._

_Ren: What follower?_

_Ryuji: Ann Takamaki. You met her in the courtyard, remember?_

_Ryuji: You should know her. I mean, she's in your class, dude._

_Ren:_ _Oh yeah, Takamaki-San._

_Ryuji: Ugh! What a load of bull!_

_Ryuji: I can't let it end like this._

_Ryuji: I'm gonna try to find someone who knows about what's going on with Kamoshida during break tomorrow._

_Ryuji: Just you watch, I ain't givin' up!_

With an unreadable look on his face, Ren placed the phone down on his bed before getting up from it. He walked towards the small window that was right across him and had his hands open it fully. The cool air played softly with his dark locks and felt it slightly tickling his skin as well. With another smile, he buried his face into his hands as he stared up to the heavens. He had the same look in his eyes as a child; the same innocence and longing for the beauty of the stars. It was very peaceful and joyful to him.

"Please..." His lips muttered, "Please give me the strength until the end of this."

*******

 _ **\------Next Day: Class 2**_ - _ **D**_ _ **\------**_

The following day was different for Ren since that time he was actually able to concentrate and listen to the lecture wholly and thoroughly. He knew it was thanks to last night when he lost himself in the furthest galaxies. Ren mentally chuckled at the thought that sometimes the most childish things could be most helpful during a person's worst times of despair.

And yet, he stole a glance behind him at the short brown-haired girl who was staring out at the window blankly. Emiko Hayashi raised many questions inside Ren's head since the moment he first saw her. The most important one would be the mysterious rumors about her, the other was the reason behind her unexplained hostility towards him, and the third one was what happened between her and Ryuji 3 years ago so they stopped being childhood friends.

Ren figured out that the more he knew about Emiko, the more questions he'd get. An interruption came to Ren's train of thoughts causing him to stop glancing at Emiko before she could notice him. His phone slightly buzzed in his pocket and made him carefully get it out and text Ryuji underneath the desk.

_Ryuji: So about our witness..._

_Ryuji: I was wondering if we could get something outta Takamaki._

_Ren: Since she's with Kamoshida?_

_Ryuji: No, that ain't why._

_Ryuji: Just hear me out._

_Ryuji: You know how we didn't get a thing outta the volleyball team?_

_Ryuji: I figured it'd be a good idea to talk to someone who knows them._

_Ryuji: Takamaki's BFF's with a starter. A girl named Suzui._

_Ren: Suzui-San..._

_Ryuji: I tried to talk to that girl during break, but I got nothing._

_Ryuji: If not, we should have Takamaki talk to her._

_Ryuji: Then again, I guess it'll be hard getting her to help us..._

_Ryuji: Sorry. Lemme see what else I can come up with._

*******

**_\------After School: The Courtyard-------_ **

No words could explain the scene that was unfolding. Shiho Suzui was sitting on a bench in the courtyard while lowering her face down and not moving a single muscle of her body. Her wrists were bandaged up with new and clean white bandages and a terrible yet swollen bruise was visible above her left eye as proof of the physical abuse she had to endure every day. One after another endlessly; it was like a nightmare that kept repeating itself non-stop.

Her dark eyes were dull and tired. Almost shallow and empty with no sign of life or light left in them. She never stopped frowning while staring blankly at her lap, fiddling with her fingers silently while glancing at her bandaged wrists. She was broken both mentally and physically and felt herself at the peak of despair. Luckily, Ann had her back towards Shiho's face while drinking a bottle of dehydrated water so she couldn't see her state.

"Everyone's saying a lot of bad stuff about that transfer student in your class, Ann..." Shiho began talking to forget the pain she was feeling.

"I know. I hate rumors already, but they're only getting more and more complex as time goes on." Ann stated while throwing the now-empty bottle in the trash can.

"I wonder if he's all right... I hope he's not letting it get to him too much."

"That's just like you, Shiho. Always worrying about other people before yourself. Kinda like when you were there for me..."

Ann muttered that last sentence quietly, but still loud enough for Shiho to hear. With a sad smile on her face, Ann recalled her times back at middle school. She was lonely with no friends whatsoever, but Shiho was always there for her as a friend, a sister, and a shoulder she could lean against. Ann was greatly grateful for Shiho because thanks to her she no longer felt lonely at the time she most needed someone to be with her.

"Shouldn't you be heading to volleyball?"

"Uh-huh..."

"That bruise above your eye... is that from practice, too?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?"

"I'm okay... volleyball's the only thing I can do right..."

That sentence left Ann hanging with her thoughts. It was true that Shiho had a talent in volleyball, but that bruise wasn't normal for volleyball practice. Ann noticed that those injuries were increasing over her friend's body recently, especially that Nationals were approaching fast, and yet every time she asked her about that, Shiho's reply would always remain the same. Something was wrong, very wrong... Ann wanted to know that very badly, but couldn't grasp the truth behind that. Shiho's state worried her greatly given it was plainly obvious that she was hiding something from her, something extremely dangerous.

_**Pi** _

_**Pi** _

_**Pi** _

The platinum blonde-haired's phone rang in her pocket at the worst time which caused her to cut her line of thoughts. A visible frown printed on her lips while seeing the number on the screen as a distressed sigh escaped her. She was already dealing with enough problems on her end, and now that?

"Shouldn't you take that?" A curious look was in Shiho's eyes.

  
"It's probably just my part-time job... I think."

"I... should get going."

"Shiho... are you sure you're okay?"

"Uh-huh.."

The dark-haired made her way out of the courtyard as fast as possible to her daily session of an unmerciful and cruel beating before Ann could see the look of fear that aroused on her face. While walking away, Shiho grabbed her shaky arms as she tried her best to hold back her tears and not let them out. She knew that Ann was going through a lot herself and didn't want to add even more burdens on her shoulder. Not more of Kamoshida, and definitely not her burden.

Ann watched her friend walking away from her in silence and disappearing from sight. She was still feeling unsatisfied with Shiho's answers and noticed her unusual behavior with her today. She looked extremely scared and depressed which didn't make her feel comfortable or secure at all. Nonetheless, she answered the phone call before the ringing would end.

"...Yes? Today won't work... I'm... I'm not feeling so good... sorry... bye..."

Again with another sad sigh, Ann made her own way out of the courtyard as her mind was still preoccupied with Shiho and her drowsy mood. She needed to get to the bottom of this but didn't know how to do that exactly. The only way possible was completely out of the picture since it involved that wicked teacher himself. But what she hadn't noticed was that two that male students who passed by her observed her as she left.

"Hey, wasn't that Takamaki?" A bored male student asked.

"Rumor has it she's dating Kamoshida." A disheveled male student added.

"Seriously?"

"I heard people saw them in his car together."

"You know... she seems pretty easy, huh? You think I'd have a chance, too?"

"C'mon dude, you can't go after Kamoshida's bitch!"

*******

_**\------Meanwhile------** _

Still nothing.

Ren felt kinda disappointed that he was still empty-handed and was going to report that to Ryuji. No new leads came up in their investigation whatsoever which meant that they still couldn't build a solid case against Kamoshida. That was when a thought crossed Ren's head: what if they never were able to expose Kamoshida's abuses? He couldn't bring himself to imagine what the volleyball team was suffering every single day because of him; a monster hiding under the crust of a fake façade.

Ren shook his head to keep those negative thoughts out of his head. He still didn't lose hope yet and knew for a fact that even if all the doors close in his face, one will open for him. It was true that the solution looked out of reach, but that gave more reasons to Ren to pursue this case and grasp the truth. While on his way, he spotted a similar-looking dark-haired girl standing by the door that led outside to the courtyard. She was looking at her phone in awkward silence. The scene of the bandages and the fresh bruise above her eye caught his attention entirely.

_"Isn't that Suzui-San?"_

"...What? Oh... I'm in the way, aren't I? Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. Are you hurt?"

"Huh...? Umm... well..."

Shiho seemed at a loss for words fiddling with her fingers nervously. It was clear that Ren's question caught her off guard and was creating multiple scenarios in her head to avoid that question.

"Hm, you don't look familiar. Could you be that transfer student from Class D?"

"Yes, I am."

"Um, this might not be any of my business, but don't let the rumors get to you, okay...?"

"They don't bother me."

Wrong. Very wrong.

"I'm glad to hear that... my best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks..."

"Really...?"

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to drag on like that. Anyway, I have to go to practice... I'll see you around."

"........."

Ren wasn't quite satisfied with Shiho's answer and noticed how she avoided his question which made him stare in the direction where she went with a suspicious look that covered his face. He didn't need much intelligence to piece it all together and know that those injuries made were caused by Kamoshida himself. So, he carried on his way to the courtyard worried and his mind occupied at Shiho's physical and possibly mental condition.

Undergoing so many abuses every day would surely break a person's mentality, and that even gave him more and more reasons to help them at any cost. With those thoughts in mind, he spotted Ryuji tapping his foot impatiently on the grass with an extremely annoyed and irritated look on his face. Ren figured out immediately that luck wasn't on his end either, but decided to ask anyway.

"Dammit. What the hell..."

"Did you find someone?"

"Is that what it looks like?"

"No."

"All of 'em kept sayin' the same shit Mishima was talkin' about...! Kamoshida had to have told 'em something!" Ryuji groaned angrily while punching the vending machine next to him.

"There must be some way..."

A short pause, then...

"Wait...! I think I know someone who might help us!" Ryuji nearly jumped.

"Eh?"

"Just follow me. I know where to find her."

Curiosity took over Ren as he followed Ryuji behind. He mentioned a _her_ , and that made him wonder: Could it be Emiko Hayashi? He highly doubted that since he stated that she stopped talking to him three years ago after the death of her father. She couldn't possibly be willing to help them, but Ryuji was her childhood friend so there was still a VERY small possibility. However, his doubts were denied when Ryuji stopped his tracks and pointed at a girl who was positioning her camera at a table to take a picture of a white butterfly that stood on it. She was a petite girl with shoulder-length black hair, shiny emerald green eyes, and a small beauty mark right under the corner of her right eye.

"Perfect." The petite girl mumbled that word.

"Yooo!" Ryuji approached her with the biggest grin ever.

"Ah...!" The girl flinched at the loud voice which made the butterfly fly away.

"It flew away... hey, what the hell--"

The girl turned her back, looking pushed beyond angriness, but her expression almost immediately softened and turned into a shocked and surprised one when she saw Ryuji walking towards her while waving his hand at her.

"Sakamoto-Kun?!"

The petite girl blinked her eyes a few times to make sure that her eyes weren't playing tricks before her lips curved to a huge grin that was equal to Ryuji's.

"Oh. My. God! It's really you!"

With a blink of an eye, she threw herself into Ryuji's arms hugging him tightly to the point of squeezing him and almost breaking his bones. Ryuji struggled to breathe between the tight grip of her arms. She was petite but was really strong. That sudden action caused Ren to tilt his head comically as question marks rose from his head.

But there was something that caught Ren's attention about her...

Bandages. Everywhere on her face and arms. She was no different from Shiho.

"Gah! You almost broke my bones, Shinohara!"

"Sorry, I'm just really happy to see you again after all this time."

"I can see that!" _Sarcasm_ was obvious in Ryuji's scream.

"Look at what you've done to your hair! Wow... I actually like it this way. Blonde suits you more than your old black hair."

"Are you for real?!"

"Um, who is she?" Ren trailed from confusion.

"Oh, yeah sorry. That's Mayu Shinohara. I've known her before and she's Mikki's neighbor. She lives right next door to her."

"Hmm..." Mayu leaned her face close to Ren's to observe him which made him uncomfortable.

"Um..."

"Oh, you're that rumored transfer student, aren't you? Ren Amamiya-Kun, was it?"

"Yes."

"You know, I never believed those rumors about you from the get-go. You definitely don't look like a person who'd assault someone, so don't worry about that!"

".........!"

Was Ren dreaming? Were his ears tricking him? Or was Mayu just bluffing?

"How's Takamaki? Still the same since last year?"

"Well..." Ryuji trailed.

"Come on, Sakamoto-Kun. You still haven't apologized to her yet? Grow up and be a man!"

"I know, I know..."

"You see, Amamiya-Kun, Sakamoto-Kun, and Takamaki were really close to each other in middle school and even used to call each other by their first names. Well, until last year..."

"What happened?" Ren asked.

"That effin' Kamoshida. After he... broke my leg, I was so depressed and angry knowin' that I can't run anymore, and Takamaki just wanted to help me, but I acted like a total dick with her and pushed her away..."

".........." Ren was at a total loss for words.

"And speaking of Hayashi, are you two still... you know, not talking?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of that."

".........."

"Not only her dad died three years ago, but know there are those rumors about her too..."

"They're bullshit! Mikki'd never hurt a fly!"

"What are those rumors?" Ren just had to know.

"Sorry Amamiya-Kun, but it's best if you don't know."

"Yeah, man she's right. You really don't wanna know."

"I see..." But Ren was unsatisfied with that.

"So, how can I help you, gentlemen? I can see you haven't come here for idle chit-chat."

"Yeah, we wanna ask you somethin'."

"Sure."

"Is it true? Is Kamoshida beatin' you up?"

".........."

So, it WAS true. Mayu was a member of the volleyball team.

"...I-I'm sorry, Sakamoto-Kun, I want to help you but I can't answer that. Please, understand my situation... volleyball is everything I got, and I don't want anyone to take it away from me."

"Yeah... I know."

"I'm really sorry. I wish I could help you."

Mayu bowed before the two boys before hurriedly walking away. Even though she was one of Ryuji's acquaintances, she still couldn't help them, but her words made them even more and surer. Ren felt sad for the poor girl. She seemed to be really nice and polite and even confirmed that she never believed the rumors about him and that made her the second after Ryuji.

"What now?" Ren started.

"At this rate... it looks like we'll have to go to him directly..."

"We should've started with that."

"I know..."

"But?" Ren sensed that there was a but coming.

"But seriously, isn't there something we can do? No way I'm gonna give in like this! Can you think of anything?"

"How about a sneak attack?"

"That'd be fine if we could do it without getting caught, but... if we did we'd be seriously done for. Got any other ideas...?"

"We should call the cops?"

"So you wanna tell 'em about the castle? They'd never believe us... have any other ideas...? What do we do...?"

"Let's punish the king."

"The king...? You mean that other world's Kamoshida?"

"I didn't think of that, but... is there any meaning to--" Ryuji shut his mouth when he looked at the distance and widened his eyes fully.

"What's wrong?"

"Holy shit! Mikki?!"

Ryuji ran as fast as he could away from Ren despite his injured leg which made the raven-haired look behind to see Emiko passing by that area with something really eye-catching about her appearance.

A bandage on her right cheek.

 _"That wasn't on her face yesterday."_ Ren thought to himself.

"Wh-What is this bandage? What happened?!"

"That doesn't concern you."

"It's Kamoshida, isn't he?"

"........!" Her face went pale.

Bingo.

"I knew it was him! That son of a--"

"I stopped being your friend for a good reason, you know. Or did you forget that, Sakamoto?"

"Wh-What...?!"

Calling Ryuji by his last name was like a bomb that's been thrown on him. His childhood friend whom he considered a sister in the past had just... officially and powerfully cut all of her ties with him.

"Why am I even wasting my time with you?"

Emiko walked away from the scene, and Ryuji didn't even bother himself to follow her. He was glued in his place like a statue as his blonde bangs shadowed his face. At that moment, he was deeply broken and devastated by someone who was very dear to him. He felt like his heart had split in half.

"Wait, Hayashi-San!" Unable to see his friend hurt that much, Ren followed the girl himself.

"What do you want, Amamiya? I was VERY clear that I don't want to talk to _you_."

"Why are you doing this to him? Wasn't he your childhood friend?"

"That's none of your business."

"It is. He's my friend."

"Oh, so you and Sakamoto are all buddy-buddy with each other. Well, good for you."

 _Sarcasm,_ again.

"I know that your father died three years ago and stopped talking to him after that, but that doesn't--"

"You don't know ANYTHING about me, Amamiya."

"But I'm just trying to help you."

"Help me?" She scoffed nervously.

"I see... I understand now. You're that kind of a person."

"What do you mean?"

"You're that kind of people who think they **'can change the world'** or **'make a difference'** and help everyone to change them for the best."

"Huh?"

"Well, new fact, big shot: Not everyone can be saved."

"Hayashi-San--"

"Wake up from your dreams, Amamiya. This isn't some shounen drama where you can make everything perfect and dandy. This is the real world, and it's very dark and cruel."

After those heavy words, Emiko walked away from Ren and left him at loss for words. She had just given him an extra reason to hate her even more than before due to her behavior with Ryuji a few moments ago. Just why was she acting like this, and with the boy she had probably spent most of her childhood with?

"Mikki, why...? I don't understand you anymore..." Ryuji's voice was broken like he was trying to hold back his tears.

"I--"

"I finally found you..."

  
An unknown voice suddenly called the two boys as a black cat with shiny blue eyes came to them. They both looked around them to see who just talked to them, but it was only the two of them around.

"...You say something?" Ryuji asked Ren.

"No."

"Don't think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you." The black cat literally spoke while jumping on the table.

"That voice... is that you, Morgana?!" Ryuji asked shockingly.

"How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!"

"The cat's talkin'?!"

"I am NOT a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two."

"Wait... you came to our world?! Does that mean you've got a phone?!"

"You don't need a one when you're at my level. I did get pretty lost making my escape though..."

"That aside, why can you talk?! You're a cat!"

"How should I know?!"

"You hearin' this too...?"

"Of course I do." Ren replied

"Then it really is Morgana..."

"You guys are having a rough time of this, hm? I heard you mention something about witnesses."

"Oh shuddup."

"You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do with Kamoshida. You were pretty close just a moment ago." Morgana shifted his gaze to Ren.

"How so?" Ren asked.

"God, that condescendin' attitude! This thing's gotta be Morgana!"

"Were you still doubting me?!"

"Ack...! Quiet down!"

"We really have to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this...?" A disciplinary committee teacher spoke from a distance.

"I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn't you hear it?"

"Make sure you check every nook and cranny around."

"Meow...? Does that mean only us two can understand what you're sayin'?" Ryuji asked.

"Looks like it." Morgana replied.

"What in the world is goin' on?" Ryuji scratched the back of his head, "Anyways, what you were talkin' about earlier... is it for real?"

"You're quite the skeptic for being an idiot."

"Hey, tell us more. Then again, this probably ain't the best place..."

"How about the rooftop?" Ren suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Morgana purred happily.

"Here, stick it in your bag for now! It should be just small enough to fit!" Ryuji told Ren while grabbing Morgana from his yellow collar.

"Hey! How dare you to treat me like--"

Not giving him the chance to continue his statement, Ryuji forcefully stuffed Morgana into his friend's bag from his head earning a cry of pain from him in the process. Ren felt sorry for the cat and opened his mouth to speak, but Ryuji was already walking away from him. He knew it was hopeless so followed him with a sweatdrop on his forehead.

*******

**_\------The Rooftop------_ **

"...Don't be so rough with me!" Morgana snapped.

"Enough of that!" Ryuji raised his voice, "You said that you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?"

"It has to do with what Ren was talking about earlier. You'll need to attack his castle."

"What do you mean...?"

"That castle is how Kamoshida views the school. He doesn't realize what happens in there, but It's deeply connected to the depths of his heart."

"Since the castle basically existed because of Kamoshida's distorted desires." Ren added.

"Correct. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida."

"What'd happen?" Ryuji asked.

"A Palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires so, if that castle were no more..."

"His desires would go too." Ren continued the sentence.

"Precisely! You sure do pick up things fast!"

"For real?! H-He's gonna turn good?! But... is that really gettin' back at him?"

"Erasing a palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart. However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he'll confess them himself!"

"You for real?! That's possible?!"

"And since the Palace will no longer exist, he'll forget what we did there as well. Not only we'll be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won't even be a trace of our involvement."

"That's amazing! You're a one incredible cat!"

"True, except for the cat part."

"So how do we get rid of the Palace?"

"By stealing the treasure held within."

"...Stealing...?"

"I'll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It's my most secret valuable, secret plan after all. If you want to help me out, I'd gladly teach you. What's your call?"

"Our luck's runnin' dry lookin' for witnesses. Guess we have no choice but to go along..."

"You're right..." Ren agreed.

"Good. Oh right. There's one more thing I should tell you. If we erase a Palace, there's no doubt that the person's distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what all need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love--those sorts of things"

"What are you gettin' at?"

"If all those yearnings were to vanish, they'd be no different than someone who has shut down entirely. They may even die if they're not given proper care. So..."

"They might die?" Ryuji widened his eyes.

"Will you listen to everything I have to say first?"

"Would their deaths be our fault?"

"Aren't you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?"

"Hey... what do you think?" Ryuji sought an answer from Ren.

"We'll have to risk it..."

"For real?!"

"Sheesh... I come all this way, and this is what I get. It's not like anyone will ever find out."

"That's not the point! If we just go around secretly doin' whatever we want, we'd be no better than that effin' Kamoshida."

"Isn't this your only option?" Morgana asked.

"...I'll come back later. Make sure you'd make your decision by then. I won't force you to decide right now."

And with that said, Morgana left the rooftop and the two boys behind him at a total loss.

"Man... we're gettin' all worked up for nothin'... dammit!"

"I... don't even know what to do anymore..." Ren scratched his hair.

"I'll try to see if I can figure out another way. C'mon, let's get outta here."

Walking to the school's gate, Ren never stopped thinking about the words that Morgana had told them. Erasing Kamoshida's Palace by stealing his treasure would make him confess all of his crimes, but there was a high risk of him dying... so at that point, even Ren didn't know what was the right thing to do. Sure Kamoshida was an asshole for abusing and beating his team so monstrously like a wild animal torturing its prey. He deserved a very powerful punishment, but killing him won't do any good. Ren really wanted to help those players and their luck was running out, so he had to think of an alternative, and the vibrating sound of his phone wasn't giving much help either.

 _Ryuji: Hey! I heard som_ _ething that got my attention._

_Ryuji: About that Suzui girl... looks like rumors are going around her and Kamoshida._

_Ryuji: If they're true, then it's no wonder why I couldn't get her to talk._

_Ryuji: Still, something about that doesn't seem right..._

_Ren: What do you mean? Do you know something?_

_Ryuji: It's just impossible._

_Ryuji: I've known Takamaki and Suzui since middle school._

_Ryuji: There's just no way Kamoshida's their type, y'know?_

_Ryuji: So... I gotta wonder where those rumors came from._

_Ryuji: Well, whatever. I'll try asking around some more._

"This seems troublesome..." Ren sighed while placing his phone in his pocket.

"Huh? What are you doing here?!"

"........?"

Caught by surprise by that sudden voice, Ren's footsteps came to a halt near the school's gate where his eyes caught the figure of that green-haired first-year he encountered a few times... he'd recognize that green hair anywhere. However, in front of him stood a small girl, roughly at the elementary age, with bluish, off-white hair, straight and combed which was parted in the middle of her forehead, almost reaching down to her waist. She had very wide, innocent-looking eyes that were bright red in color. Her uniform consisted of a white shirt worn beneath a blue blazer with a pink bow on top, a navy-blue skirt, white leggings, and red Mary Jane shoes. Could she be someone related to him? A sister perhaps? Well, that seemed like the most obvious answer anyway.

"I... came to get you." The shy-looking girl replied timidly, barely audible for Ren to hear.

"D-Did you come here on your own?! How?!" Konno was in a state of panic.

"...By the train."

"That's not..." Konno rubbed his temples before sighing deeply and kneeling down to the girl's level, "What I told you about riding public transport on your own? What if something happened to you along the way? Did you forget that subway incident that happened just recently?"

"No, It's just... you promised we'd walk home together and I was scared you'd forget me..." The small girl looked down, voice filled with regret.

"Hey..." Konno patted her head lovingly, "I could never forget about you. Have some faith in me, okay?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Can you promise me that you'll wait for me next time? Pretty please...?"

"...Okay."

"All right." Konno stood up, offering his hand to the child, "Let's go home now. How about some ice cream on the way? Your favorite, mint chocolate chip?"

The girl's red eyes lit up as her previous frown was almost immediately wiped away and replaced with the biggest and happiest grin ever as she took Konno's hand. Their joint giggles could still be heard as they walked away from Shujin's gate, completely ignoring the confused glances from the students who were passing by them. For some reason, the voice of their joint laughs drew a serene smile on Ren's face as he felt something warm bubbling up in his chest. The way those two were acting... that was a pure familial love with how much Konno was worried about his little sister--he indeed had such a big, kind heart.

Family... was truly the sweetest thing ever.

If only... the same was for him, that is.

*******

 ** _\------Aoyama_** - ** _Itchome Station------_**

Finally, Ren arrived at Aoyama-Itchome station to take the train home while his mind was still preoccupied with Morgana's words. It WAS possible to make Kamoshida stop all his evil actions, but with a very huge price, so his mind felt like it was swinging backward and forward between those two options.

His morality, or the lives of the victims?

Feeling like his head was going to explode from thinking too much about it, Ren held his head whilst heading to the platform. He really longed to sleep deeply at that moment and a nice and warm plate of delicious and tempting curry. And yet, the voice of a girl talking on her phone forced Ren to get out of those daydreams, thus he lifted his eyes up to see the familiar flashy ash blonde-haired girl from his class. She seemed really angry and frustrated while talking too, so Ren knew that it was serious.

"Will you please give it a rest?! I told you, I'm not feeling up to it... wait, what...?! That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?! This has nothing to do with Shiho!"

"Ah..."

The line was hung up in her face.

"Shiho's... starting position..."

Ann crouched on the ground burying her face into her hands and gave in to crying. Her sobs told the fact that she was holding them for too long and that made Ren start feeling sorry for her and angry at himself for not being able to solve that case so far.

Yeah, he knew it was Kamoshida on the other line.

"Wait... were you listening Haven't you heard of privacy?"

"No, I..." Ren tried to defend himself.

"...No, I was out of line. Sorry. So how much did you hear...?" She wiped her tears away.

"Something about a friend of yours."

"Shiho... It's nothing at all. Nothing..."

She wanted to run away at that moment so badly, just to run away so far from everything. She attempted to flee away from Ren, but he was smart and knew she'd do that, so he grabbed her wrist tightly before she could run anywhere. Yet, his dark hair was covering her eyes so nobody could read a clear expression on his face.

"Just leave me alone!"

"........."

"Why...? Why do you keep worrying about me?"

"Let's go somewhere safe and talk about this."

"What in the world...?! I really don't get you."

*******

**_\-------Big Bang Burger------_ **

All the way, the two teenagers were awkwardly silent and none of them talked to the other, and that continued until they reached a restaurant called Big Bang Burger. Ren recognized it immediately since there was a branch of it in his hometown but didn't visit it that much. They were welcomed by the cozy atmosphere and the dusky sunlight illuminating their surroundings with multiple hues of gorgeous orange and yellow. They sat on a vacant table to figure all of this out before the waitress came. They ordered two drinks for themselves before she left to serve them. Ren was looking at Ann sternly who was trying her best not to break down again in front of a stranger.

"I don't have anything to talk about with you. It was just an argument."

"With Kamoshida, right?"

"........."

"Thank you very much!" The waitress served them their drinks.

"You've heard the rumors... haven't you? About Mr. Kamoshida." Ann said while playing with the napkin in front of her, "Everyone says we're getting it on. But... that's so not true...!"

"........." Ren grunted.

"That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number... for the longest time... he told me to go to his place after this... you know what it means." Ann gripped her nails into the napkin, "If I turn him down, he said that he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team... I've been telling myself that this is all for Shiho's sake... I can't take it anymore..." She rested her back on the seat and seemed on the edge of tears.

"........." Ren wanted to say something, but words wouldn't come out from his mouth.

"I've had enough of this... I hate him! But still... Shiho's my best friend. She's all I have left at that sorry excuse of a school! Tell me... what should I do...?" Ann looked at Ren hopelessly. Her eyes were drenched and drowned in tears.

".........."

Ren gripped his fingers into his pants under the table in pure frustration. It hurt and cut him deeply to see Ann in such a vulnerable and fragile state. It hurt him so much to the bones.

"I'm sorry..." He managed to say.

"Huh? What are you apologizing for?"

"I'm sorry... because you had to go through all of this. I can't imagine all the pain you're experiencing."

"Sorry... I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem." Ann wiped her eyes, "What am I saying? I've barely even talked to you before..."

"It's fine."

"Huh? You're so weird. Usually, everyone just ignores me. Are you really a bad person as the rumor says? You just don't seem like it."

"I'm bad to the bone."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Ann chuckled.

"Is it?" Ren chuckled back.

"I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations. You seemed lonely--almost like you didn't belong anywhere... we're the same in that regard. Maybe that's why it was so easy for me to talk to you."

"Belong, huh..."

"Is there really no way for me to help Shiho? I wish he'd just change his mind... like forget about me, and everything... as if something like that would ever happen."

"It could happen."

"I wasn't asking for a serious response. But I do feel a bit better now." Ann smiled sadly, "...I'm gonna head home now. Don't tell anyone what I told you, okay?"

"Of course not."

"I'll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. Well... thanks."

Ann grabbed her drink with her before heading away but before she could walk out of the restaurant, she stole a final glance at Ren who remained in his sitting position. Even though she didn't know him well, something about him made her feel a little reassured and that she could trust him. It was a sensation that she couldn't quite explain or get a grasp of it. With a calm smile on her lips, Ann pushed the glass door open and made her way home.

 _"It could happen..."_ She repeated his words in her mind.

*******

**_\------Meanwhile: Shujin Academy------_ **

The school day was done long ago so any lingering students had to leave immediately. Shiho wasn't feeling very well and yearned to leave the school grounds and head home. She was extremely tired to the point of not wanting to see the school's scene in front of her any longer.

"Suzui..." Mishima approached her, "Are you leaving?"

"What is it?"

"Mr. Kamoshida is asking for you. He's in the PE faculty office."

"What did he say?"

"I don't know. Well... I have to go."

And with that, said the dark-haired volleyball player left her alone with the thought of Kamoshida asking for her swirling in her mind. Shiho stood still about to cry out loudly from all the conflicted emotions and thoughts that swirled inside of her. She didn't know what Kamoshida wanted, but she knew that it can't be any good when it's about him. Her phone rang which forced her to get out of her state of despair and misery, thus she pulled it out to look at the caller ID, but seeing the name alone made her want to cry even more.

"Ann..."

She rejected the call because she didn't want her best friend to hear her crying. Ann was dealing with enough already and never wanted her to worry about her sake more than she did already. Wiping her tears away, Shiho walked down the hallways to see what that wicked teacher could possibly want from her.

*******

_**\------Evening: Leblanc------** _

He never stopped thinking about her.

Ann's image lingered in his mind; her cries, tears, calls for help. It broke Ren from inside out remembering the hopelessness and helplessness she must've been experiencing. He finally knew the truth about her and the rumors regarding her too; it was all so her best and only friend Shiho could be a regular on the time; she was sacrificing her reputation for her. Ren opened the café's door with that issue in mind, and was greeted by the angry was of Sojiro who was reading a newspaper.

"You're late, where have you been?"

"Some thug was bothering me."

Sojiro sighed.

"Just don't come running to me when you get arrested. That'll be it for you, remember? By the way, you haven't been hanging around any bad influences, have you?"

"I actually made a friend."

"Huh. They've gotta be pretty strange to want to spend time with you."

"No."

"Just make sure you're careful who your friends are, if you don't want them ruining your life. Look at the time. Seriously, think about how I feel having to stay up here waiting for you. Hey, I'm leaving. In the future, try not to come back so damn late. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Ren nodded obediently in reply, making Sojiro stand up and lock the shop's door behind him. He climbed up the stairs to the attic where he stayed before tossing his bag on the table. He threw himself on his comfy bed as well and felt exhaustion rising up in him. His body ached and his head hurt him from all the events that occurred today and the thinking he did. Mayu Shinohara, Shiho Suzui, Emiko Hayashi, Ann Takamaki, the truth behind Ann, Morgana's words, Kamoshida, and everything. His eyelids were heavy and were about to close by themselves, but...

Ryuji texted him and cut his sleep.

Great, just great.

_Ryuji: So, whaddya think about what Morgana told us?_

_Ryuji: I dunno if I get all that stuff about stealing desires..._

_Ryuji: And Kamoshida's gonna turn like, brain dead if we mess up, right?_

_Ryuji: I mean, sure I'm pissed at him..._

_Ryuji: But I dunno if I really wanna kill the guy..._

_Ren: Yeah, that's too much._

_Ryuji: For sure._

_Ryuji: I mean, maybe I'm just freaking out, but I don't wanna end up as a murderer cause of this shit._

_Ryuji: Oh well..._

_Ryuji: I'll try and see if I can come up with some other way tonight._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God! I feel awful for Ann, you know. TT^TT
> 
> For those who played Persona 5, you KNOW what's going to happen next.
> 
> Hooooooo boy!
> 
> Published on: Fri/Oct 6/2020


	10. Chapter 06

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A beautiful rose has its thorns!

**_\------Next Day: Class 2_** - ** _D------_**

Scribbling notes down on his notebook, Ren couldn't help himself but feel a little bit preoccupied with the events that took place just the other day. The image of Ann's crying face and her desperate, yet pleading sound still lingered in his mind since the previous night. A frown made its way on his lips as his grip tightened around his pen, beginning to write a little bit more harshly than before. He had run into Shiho Suzui before in the hallways and from how softly and politely she talked, she truly seemed like a sweet girl who absolutely didn't deserve the treatment she got. Kamoshida was a piece of pure scum who used Shiho in order to make Ann do whatever the hell he wanted, that sick bastard. And that raised the question...

...was Ren willing to go to his Palace and face the risk of killing him?

"So, I assume all of you know the separation of powers? There are three branches in our government. The National Diet is legislative, and the Supreme Court is judiciary. This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no one branch becomes unstoppable." Mr. Uchimaru explained.

"Have you made up your mind?" Suddenly Morgana popped up under Ren's desk.

"M-Morgana?"

"No matter how much thinking you do, there's only one option. You'd be better off just listening to me."

"Why are you in there?"

"Hm? Did I just hear a cat just now?"

"Be quiet, Morgana."

"M-Meow!"

"Could that rumored cat be somewhere nearby....? Settle down! We're in the middle of an important lecture!"

Ren sighed mentally in relief since Morgana wasn't _directly_ exposed, and if he had, he'd be in deep trouble and was already dealing with enough. Still, Emiko's harsh words for him stood out from his latest encounter with her; was he really living in dreams thinking he can save everybody? Could it be that she was right?

And yet, Ryuji decided to pull him out of that inner struggle by texting him during the class of all time.

_Ryuji: It's no use... I can't think of any other way..._

_Ren: Concentrate on class!_

_Ryuji: I can't deal with this shit right now. I mean, what're we gonna do about Kamoshida?_

_Ryuji: Do we just gotta go along with what that cat says?_

_Ryuji: Ugh, that dang furball._

"If he only knew that I'm reading this too..."

"Hey...! What's that...?!" A standing male student exclaimed.

"Enough! This is a classroom!" Mr. Ushimaru scolded.

"Wait... she's going to jump...!"

"Suzui...?" Mishima stood up quickly.

"Shiho...?" Ann stood up nervously, her face was all written with horror.

"Huh?!" Even Emiko was no exception.

"Hey! Stay in your seats! Do not step foot outside of this room!"

"Oh no..." Ann hurriedly ran outside of the class.

All of the students ran outside of the class as well to the hallways, watching the dark-haired girl standing on the edge of the roof. Ren wasted no time as he rushed out of class too, forcing his way into the crowds of students to get a better view of whatever they were gawking at. What was going on exactly? He needed to know. But still, why couldn't he stop that awful feeling in his chest like something bad was supposed to happen? He didn't like that feeling at all. And that was when it hit real hard... Shiho Suzui stood on the edge of the rooftop, allowing the wind to play with her dark locks and sway them along with it.

Her eyes were dull, tired, deprived of any sort of life like how they always were... as if something had stolen her soul away from her. Images of herself and Ann played in her mind back at times the two of them used to always laugh in joy, back when times were simpler, back at times when they didn't have to worry about anything, back at times when all that madness didn't happen. She shut her eyes tightly at the mere memory of Kamoshida's sly smirk and the way he licked his lips upon her entering his office. Gazing down at the ground that seemed far away from her, she couldn't help herself but have a cold sweat roll down her face... there was no turning back now. She glanced one last time at the windows to catch the glimpse of her beloved friend screaming her name, but she could only smile back at her sadly.

Closing her eyes, she gave herself the wind and left herself under its mercy as her body fell down from the roof onto the ground--the skies she once adored only grew further in her eyes.

_"Ann, I'm sorry..."_

"........!" Ann gasped loudly in shock while cupping her mouth.

The entire hallway filled with horrified gasps, yelps, and screams at the scene that just took place before their eyes--they had just witnessed a girl committing suicide. Ren wasn't any less from any person there; he backed away while covering his mouth and felt like his heartbeat increased crazily, sweat was also rolled down from his forehead, and felt like his knees were shaking. Dammit...! He just stood hopelessly there and watched another person die... _again_!

He couldn't help her even though he wanted that so badly.

"No... why...? Shiho...!" Ann barely mumbled these words before running away.

Ren couldn't take it anymore and immediately rushed behind Ann as he kept mentally chanting that Shiho didn't die and somehow survived the fall. His lips also chanted it quietly as he desperately ran to the courtyard, shutting his eyes close tightly... no, he couldn't accept that! He _wouldn't_ accept it! Ren had enough with his past life and that _damned_ incident that led to his criminal record... and that day six years ago. Vivid images from that day flashed in his mind, making him shake his head in denial as he hurried his pace, that wasn't the same! No, not today and not ever! On the way, he spotted Ryuji who wasn't any less shocked than him, given how his eyes were wide open and his skin was paler than normal--light pants escaped the blondie while looking at Ren.

"H-Hey, what's goin' on?! We should hurry to the courtyard too!

*******

_**\------The Courtyard------** _

With that, the two ran to the courtyard where there were too many students gathering and blocking the view in the process while taking pictures and footages with their phones like paparazzi running after the hot scoop, showing no remorse or manners whatsoever. All of them were pushing one another to get a better view of the scene, completely forgetting how many of them were terrified just a few moments ago... heh, so much for considering others. What a joke.

Just when did morality go away?

"There's no way we're going to pass all these people." Ren spoke.

"Hey, lemme through!"

"What?" A male student gasped.

"Outta the way, man! Please!"

When they finally made their way, they saw Shiho lying down on a stretcher whose face was brutally covered with bruises, injuries, wounds, and cuts everywhere. Even worse than before, a lot worse.

"Class is still in session!" A panicking teacher exclaimed.

"Shiho...!"

"What the hell's wrong with these people?"

"We need someone to go with her. Are there any teachers around?" A paramedic asked.

"I-I'm not in charge of her class though..."

"We should leave this to Principal Kobayakawa..."

"I'll go!" Ann stood up.

"Please hurry!" The paramedic spoke quickly as Ann ran over to Shiho.

"Shiho... why...?"

"Ann...? I'm sorry... I-I can't take this... anymore..."

"Shiho...?" Ann questioned as leaning close to her ear, "...Huh? Kamoshida?!"

"Ngh..." Shiho struggled before she lost consciousness.

"No... Shiho?!"

Ann cried out on top of her lungs as the paramedics put Shiho in the ambulance car that drove away in the distance. The students remained standing in their spots exchanging all kinds of murmurs and whispers among themselves. Even Ren whose fingers reached his black blazer gripped his fingers tightly in its fabric had his jaw clenched tightly while breathing abnormally.

"Volleyball team..." Ryuji muttered.

"Return to your classrooms at once!"

"Ah... ah..." Mishima trembled before running away.

"That guy... hey, wasn't Mishima acting weird?"

"Definitely." Ren agreed.

"...We're gonna make him talk this time."

"Teachers, return to your classrooms for the time being! Please do not let any students go home yet!" Principal Kobayakawa showed up.

"........!"

Emiko gagged at the sight that unfolded just a few moments ago. Like everyone, she witnessed everything, even the moment Shiho jumped down and that made her gag real bad. Unable to hold the urge that was swirling inside her anymore, she ran off away from the crowds to the nearest trash can. She held her stomach while throwing up everything that she ate earlier that morning. The smell and sight of her vomit didn't offer much help either.

"Bleeeeegh....!"

After she finished emptying everything, she felt lightheaded and her knees were no longer able to support her weight. She collapsed down on the ground while panting heavily to the point of placing her hand over her chest.

"Ngh... S-Suzui..."

On the other hand, Ren and Ryuji followed Mishima after he suspiciously ran away from the scene and were able to catch up to him. Ryuji forcefully dragged him all the way down to the locker room, throwing him on it and making his back hit it harshly. But little did they know, Morgana was there watching it too while sitting on top of one of the lockers, his expression remained neutral all the time.

"It hurts!"

"Why'd you run like that?! Huh?!"

"I didn't run..."

"She jumped and tried to kill herself!" Ryuji punched the locker again.

"L-Leave me alone."

"Do you know something?" Ren asked while crossing his arms.

"He's right! We ain't tryin' to get you busted. We won't say that you talked either!"

"Suzui... she was called by Mr. Kamoshida!"

"Wait, what?!"

"I was called by him a number of times too... to the faculty room. It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood... and hit them."

"So the physical punishment thing was real..."

"But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn't make any mistakes or anything... Mr. Kamoshida seemed really irritated that day, so it must've been... worse than usual.."

"He didn't....! That son of a bitch...!"

"Ah..."

With that yell, Ryuji vented his anger on the locker for the third time before rushing away to confront that abuser without much thinking. That made Ren and Mishima follow him to ensure that he won't do anything stupid and stealthily followed by Morgana as well.

*******

_**\------PE Faculty Office-------** _

"Huh?" Kamoshida raised an eyebrow as Ryuji barged into the room.

"You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Ryuji kicked a chair real hard.

"That's enough!"

"What you did... wasn't coaching!" Mishima spoke.

"What did you say?" Kamoshida growled while standing up from his chair.

"You... you ordered me to call Suzui here! I can only imagine what you did to her!"

"You're going on and on about things you have no proof of. Basically, you're simply making these claims because you can't be regular on the team, right?"

"That's not what this is about...!"

"Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking, what can you do? We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim. How would someone like that make a statement? There's no chance of her getting better, I hear... the poor girl."

Fake sympathy. O, _very_ fake.

"That can't be..."

"You bastard!" Ryuji shouted.

"This again? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of **'self-defense'**?"

"Shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!"

He was going to punch that stupid smirky face of his, he wanted to do that more than anything and didn't care anymore of what'll happen to him.

But someone cared.

Ren...

He stopped Ryuji's fist from doing something he might regret for a very long time.

"Why're you stoppin' me?!"

"Don't let him get you."

"But still!"

"Oh? You're stopping him? What a surprise. There's no need to hold back, why not attacking me? ...Ohhh, you can't. Hahaha, but of course you can't!"

"........." Ren narrowed his eyes.

"Everyone present right now... will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you to the next board meeting."

"You can't make a decision like that...!" Mishima protested.

"Who would seriously consider what scum like you say? You threatened me too Mishima, so you're just as responsible."

"Huh...?"

"To think you didn't know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team. You act like you're a victim, but you leaked Amamiya's criminal records, didn't you? It's all over the internet, correct? How terrible."

"I-Is that true?" Ren asked him.

"He told me to do it. I had no choice." Mishima collapsed on his knees.

"Now, are we finished here? You're all expelled! You're done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight."

"I can't believe this asshole's gettin' away with this...!"

"He'll eat his words." Ren whispered firmly.

"Huh? ...Oh right. We have that!"

"Huh? Have you lost your minds? I don't understand what garbage like you are thinking, but go ahead and try. All you can do is wait for your disposal though..."

"........."

Unknown to the two boys, Emiko stood outside the room's door leaning her back on the wall. Her dark brown locks shadowed her face down to her nose, so no clear expression could be pinpointed from it. And before the two could exit the room, she left without saying anything. And unbeknownst to the brown-haired girl, a very familiar green-haired boy passed right next to her who was on his way to a specific destination to confirm his suspicions. He had a blur idea of what might've happened to the poor senior of his... well, given the club she was in.

  
"Hm? Wasn't that...?" Konno trailed as he watched Emiko walk away.

*******

_**\------After School: The Courtyard------** _

"We can't waste any time. We gotta hurry up and go to that world and beat the shit outta that freak!" Ryuji punched the vending machine.

"...We're not beating him up. We're simply stealing his distorted desires." Morgana cleared.

"Right." Ren nodded.

"Can I assume that you've made up your minds about this--about go he might suffer a mental shutdown?"

"...I have. Someone almost died because of him! I don't give a rat's ass what happens to him anymore!"

"And you, Frizzy Hair?"

"This can't go on. We can't let others go through what Suzui-San did."

"...Then it's settled!"

"By the way, is getting rid of a Palace hard...? You've tried it before, right?" Ryuji asked.

"...When did I ever say that?"

"...Eh? WHAT?! Were you just pretendin' to know?!"

"Is it true that you're getting expelled? Everyone's talking about it." Ann approached the boys.

"That asshole's at it again...! So you came all this way to tell us that?"

"If you're going to deal with Kamoshida... let me in on it too. I can't just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!"

"But, Takamaki-San--" Ren tried to say.

"This has nothing to do with you... don't butt your head into this..."

"But it does! Shiho's my--"

"I said don't get in our way!"

"........." Ann gritted her teeth before running away.

"...That was harsh." Morgana commented.

"We can't take her somewhere like that..."

"I hope that she doesn't torment herself over this. When it comes down to it, women don't hesitate."

"We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida. Let's go already!"

Agreeing with Ryuji, Ren nodded in acknowledgment before leading the way out of the school grounds, heading to the alleyway he and Ryuji first walked into Kamoshida's castle. On the way, his mind was preoccupied with many scenarios running in his mind... the image of Shiho jumping down was the biggest one of them that still haunted him until now.

"The moment we cross over, we'll treat each other like Phantom Thieves, so I hope you're ready." Morgana said.

"Huh, Phantom Thieves?" Ryuji dumbfounded.

"Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure--that is what we become!"

"That sounds kinda cool! So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida's name and.... castle? Then we end up in a bizarre world ...How the hell all this work? Someone make it?"

"It doesn't matter, Ryuji." Ren spoke.

"True. There's no point I thinkin' about that now. We'll show that effin' Kamoshida!"

"Let's go!" Morgana said as they gathered into a circle around Ren.

"They really are going to do something..." Ann mumbled while spying on them from afar, "They're doing something with their phones? A name... school...?"

And suddenly everything nearby and around Ann got distorted and turned to a dark purple vortex which caught her completely off guard and couldn't even gasp as her surroundings warped entirely.

"Huh..?!"

*******

_**\------The Metaverse------** _

That was finally it, the moment of Kamoshida's downfall. The two teenagers stood outside of the castle's gates, both looking at it with confidant and determined faces as their eyes flamed with a renewed resolve. Ren adjusted his red glove on his hand while Ryuji bumped his fists together before they glanced at one another, lips curving to challenging smirks. They had set their minds on doing that and there was no way of turning back now... for Shiho's sake and everyone who suffered from that horrified man.

"All right! Time to bust on through!"

"What's this?!" Ann shouted.

"T-Takamaki-San?!" Ren looked at her with wide eyes.

"That voice... Sakamoto?! And the new kid?"

"Hello, I'm Amamiya."

"Wh-Wh-Why are you here?!" Ryuji stuttered from shock.

"How should I know?!"

"What's going on? Hey, where are we...?! Isn't this the school?!"

More whatsoever, Morgana was admiring Ann's beauty, his eyes never left her, and felt himself being lovestruck since his eyes turned to hurts and even hearts were floating around him. Ann was perfect in his eyes, in every way possible, and looked like everything a man could ever wish for.

"Um, Morgana?" Ren sweatdropped.

"I see. Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing. If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it'll pull anyone nearby."

"For real...?"

"Wait, so THIS is related to Kamoshida?!"

"Anyways, you gotta leave!"

"No!"

"The Shadows are going to find us if you make a scene." Morgana warned.

"No way! It talked?!" Ann gasped, "Oh my God! It's a monster cat...!"

"Monster...? Gong!" Morgana's eyes turned comically white before lowering his head.

"Ain't you gonna say your **'I'm no cat'** thing?"

"Shut up! Leave me alone, monkey!"

"Monkey?! You little--"

"You better explain what's going on! I won't leave until you do!" Ann raised her voice.

"Looks like we have to force her." Ren sighed hopelessly.

"But... how're we supposed to do that?"

"Just take her back to where we came in. That's how it worked last time, right?" Morgana asked.

"O-Oh yeah. Can you lend me a hand?"

"Got it." Ren nodded as they walked to Ann.

"What are you--?!"

"We'll explain after everything's over!"

"Hey! And just where are you touching?!"

"Whoa, sorry. I didn't mean--" Ryuji stopped his sentence, "...That's not important!"

"You guys seriously-- Ah?!" Ann cried out when they pushed her back into the hole they came from.

"We better be careful from now on when we use that app..." Ryuji sighed deeply.

"You should've checked the tools you used! Why do I--the one who was just watching--know more about it than you two?!"

"Sh-Shuddup!"

"Sigh..." Ren placed a finger on his forehead.

"Geez, Takamaki found out right when we were startin' off... we gotta deal with this fast!"

"That girl's name is Ann Takamaki, right? Lady Ann..."

"Lady?" Ren repeated.

"The Shadows have noticed us. You better brace yourselves, got it? We're counting on you, Joker!"

"Joker?"

"That a nickname?" Ryuji asked.

"Don't refer to it in such a lame way. It's a code name. What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name?! I'm not down for that! And there's no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace... it's just a precaution."

"So, why's he Joker?"

"Because he's our trump card when it comes to fighting strength."

"Joker, huh? Not bad." Ren grinned.

"It's settled then! Next up is you, Ryuji. You'll be... let's see... **'Thug.'** "

"Are you pickin' a fight with me?! I'll choose it myself! Hm... when it comes to me, it's gotta be this mask. Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?"

"Fine... why not **'Skull'** then?"

"Ooh! That sounds awesome! I'm Skull!"

"It's all right, I think..." Joker trailed.

"What do we do about this one's code name?" Skull pointed at the cat.

"What do you think?"

"...How 'bout **'Mona'**?"

"Well, if Joker thinks it's easier to call me that, then I'll go with it. All right. From here on out, we're Joker, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those code names from now on!"

"All right, let's go nab that Treasure thing!"

As the group rushed inside of the castle, Ann somehow was able to crawl out from the hole after the Meta-Nav app popped on her phone out of nowhere. She walked back toward the entrance of the castle, her blue eyes scanning her surroundings curiously and shockingly, finding a hard time to believe what stood before her. It was like something that came out of a fairytale or a dream than it being true... but it still felt so real to her.

"This is that place from earlier...! ...What's up with this app? I just said the words Sakamoto said, and I ended up--"

"Princess?!" A castle soldier called.

"Huh?"

"Princess!" Three guards ran toward the girl.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

*******

Infiltrating the castle wasn't an easy task like Skull believed it would be... or nothing like how he envisioned it to be, much to his disappointment and crushed fantasies. There were guards and soldiers scattered everywhere even more than the last time making the mission of sneaking around almost impossible, thus, they hid in a room as they waited for the right opportunity to go out.

"Aren't there even more Shadows here than before? Just gettin' this far's been a real pain in my ass!"

"It's all because you guys provoked Kamoshida, you know. Still... he seems to be awfully on guard..."

"Anyways, how're we supposed to steal that Treasure thing?"

"Don't be so hasty. First, we'll need to secure an infiltration route."

"A what...?"

"A path to the Treasure's location."

"But, honestly, I think we'll need a little more manpower in order to accomplish this. At the very least, one more person would be nice..."

"Hey, you say you don't have your memories and all, but somehow you still know about that kinda stuff? Do you think this thing's really got amnesia?" Skull asked his partner.

"I believe in Mona. No questions asked."

"At least you are a step above that moron."

"Don't call me a moron!"

"Guys?" Joker called.

"You sure talk big, but what if it turns out you're just some stray cat in the end?"

"That can't be..."

"Still, why was the princess in such an odd place...?" A guard's voice spoke from not too far.

"Princess...?" Joker repeated, making Mona walk to the door to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I could have sworn we were pursuing the readings of an intruder..."

"It doesn't matter now. We must take her back to King Kamoshida!"

"Who's this princess they're talkin' about...?" Skull asked.

"I should probably look into this!" Mona exited the room.

"And yet another question goes unanswered... stuff like the castle and that navigation app are mysterious... but Morgana's got 'em both beat."

"Remember, code names!"

"Crap, sorry! What was I again? ...Oh yeah, Skull!"

"This is bad!" Mona stepped into the room again.

"That was fast." Joker commented.

"Your friend... Lady Ann! She's been taken by Shadows...!"

"Wait, what? We sent her home earlier." Skull widened his eyes.

"If Lady Ann does indeed have the app, it could be possible."

"Oh no... don't tell me it got put on hers just like mine...?! Dammit! We let her out for her own safety, and she just came back in by herself...!"

With a blood-curdling scream, Skull dashed out of the room at full speed, completely ignoring the calls of Joker and Mona behind him before they ran after him. His injured leg acted up again due to the big amount of pressure and speed he put into it so he could run as fast as possible. That pain didn't matter to him anymore, nor the fact that he was barging in on full display for Shadows to witness as he became a vulnerable and easy prey for them--he only cared about one thing and one thing only.

Saving Ann.

*******

After Ann was captured by the guards as they dragged her away into one of the main rooms despite her constant protests and struggles to set herself free. The guards forcefully pinned her to a wall, earning a painful yelp from her lips as they proceeded to cuff her arms with the chains that hung on the walls. The tight grip of those metallic cuffs was blocking the circulation in her wrists, thus causing a feeling of numbness and pain to grow in them. And no matter how hard she tried to break free from them, the pain only increased.

"What's this all about? Seriously, I'm gonna call the cops!"

"So, this is the intruder."

Shadow Kamoshida walked into the room along with the cognitive Ann who looked like a scantily clad version of her in a provocative, purple bikini with panther-like patterns on it, high heels, a pair of cat ears, and a pink crown on top of her head. Princess Ann clung tightly to Shadow Kamoshida's arm while giggling slyly at the sight of her real-life counterpart, cooing every now and then.

"Kamoshida?! Who's that? I don't know what's going on. More importantly, what is this place?! Why's the school turned into something like this?!"

"I can't believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her. Are you afraid?"

"What's that outfit? Have you lost your mind?"

"I do as I please here. After all, this is MY castle. The world of my desires."

"What the--?! Wait... is this some red-light district?"

"What a lively slave."

"This isn't funny! Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!"

"Tch... the girl's decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?"

"Talking back is like... totally unforgivable..." Princess Ann cooed in a seductive voice.

"In that case... she should be executed." Shadow Kamoshida pointed at Ann as the guards walked to her, pulling out their swords near her neck.

"..........!"

"Now then, how should I play with you?" Shadow Kamoshida smirked, "Shall I tear you into little pieces?"

"Are you kidding me...?" Ann widened her eyes.

Meanwhile and not too far away, what the Phantom Thieves were witnessing was something beyond imagination. It made them disgusted and angry at the same time seeing how lewd and messed up Kamoshida's desires were taking the form of the ugliest things imaginable.

Sex slaves.

"This is effed up... is that what he thinks of the girls in the volleyball team...?!" Skull gaged.

"This is horrible. This is really even worse than I thought." Joker admitted.

"Hey, that's...!" Mona exclaimed upon seeing Ann before running to her with the boys.

"Takamaki!" Skull called.

"Now, how shall I play with you? Maybe cut off one limb at a time?" Shadow Kamoshida pulled out a sword, dragging the zipper of Ann's white hoodie down with its edge.

"No!"

"Maybe I'll start with your clothes..." He pulled the sword's edge closer to her black shirt, slowly tearing it down while licking his lips.

"You're such a perv.~" Princess Ann giggled.

"Don't..."

_"Sakamoto, help me..."_

"Stop right there, you sick perv!" Skull shouted while running in.

"Just when I was about to start enjoying myself..."

"Don't you dare touch her!"

"Hold on, Lady Ann! We'll save you!" Mona announced.

"What's the deal with this guy...?!" Ann called.

"You little...!" Skull growled.

"...How many times are you gonna come back?"

"Kamoshida, you...!" Joker narrowed his eyes.

"I bet you're just like those thieves. You came because you're pissed at me, huh? But, ah... I forgot that chick's name, but It's your fault she jumped, you know."

"Huh?"

"You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place."

"You bastard!" Ann shouted, making guards come closer to her, ".........!"

"No!" Skull protested.

"One more step and I'll kill her on the spot."

"Dammit...!" Skull backed a little.

"Just sit and enjoy the dismantlement." Shadow Kamoshida smirked.

"No! Don't!" Ann pleaded for her life.

"Takamaki-San!"

"This is bad!" Mona exclaimed.

"H-Hey what're we gonna do now?!" Skull freaked out as the guards walked even closer to Ann, "Takamaki!"

"Is this... my punishment for what happened to Shiho...?"

"That's more like it. You should've looked like this from the start."

"Shiho... I'm so sorry..."

"You'll just give in? Without paying him back, for you or Suzui-San?" Joker asked firmly.

"Huh...?"

"She's your friend, right? Your only friend!"

"...You're right. Letting this piece of shit toy with me... what was I thinking...?!"

"It's like I always say. Slaves should just behave and--"

"...Shut up! I've had enough of this... you've pissed me off, you son of a bitch!"

_**"My... It's taken far too long."** _

"Urgh...!"

_**"Tell me... who is going to avenge her if you don't?"** _

_**"Forgiving him was never the option..."** _

_**"Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within..."** _

_**"I am thou, thou art I..."** _

_**"We can finally forge a contract..."** _

"I hear you... Carmen."

Ann lifted her face up, her eyes turned from bright blue to gold in color--a wine red-colored panther mask appeared on her face.

"You're right. No more holding back...!"

_**"There you go... nothing can be solved by restraining yourself."** _

With her renewed and flaming resolve, Ann felt a massive power running through her body, allowing her to break free from the handcuffs with all of her might as everyone present became shocked at her sudden strength.

_**"Understand? Then I'll gladly lend you my strength..."** _

Ann ripped her mask off, blood dripping from her face like crazy, and out-of-control blue flames surrounded her in the shape of a tornado, creating a tremendous wave of wind. When everything calmed down, Ann's Persona came to life in the shape of a purple-skinned elegant lady who had dark hair tied into twin drills and smoked tobacco. The lady wore a long red dress that exposed her chest area with heart patterns on it along with red roses around the waist, long black gloves with heart patterns on them, long boots with heart patterns as a leather red strip crossed the middle, and a black panther mask. Ann's clothes changed to a skin-tight red latex catsuit worn with a cleavage cutout, zippers, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots that had a clipped tail in the back.

Then, Ann ran to one of the guards, knocking its sword off and grabbing it in mid-air as she angrily sliced her fake cognitive self that turned to a cloud of black smoke, making Kamoshida's Shadow step back in fear.

"You know what? I'm not some cheap girl you can toy with... you scumbag."

"Bitch...!"

"You stole everything from Shiho... you destroyed her... now it's your turn! I will rob you of everything...!"

"How dare you? Enough of your insolence!" A guard went berserk into a demonic shadow.

"No, I've had enough of you. No one's gonna stop me now! Let's go, Carmen!"

"How dare you deny king Kamoshida's love, you selfish lass?! Pay for this insolence with your life!"

"That dirtbag just sees women as sexual outlets! Don't make me laugh with that **'love'** bullshit! C'mon, Carmen! Let's give 'em hell!"

"We have to fight with her too!" Joker announced.

"Yeah!" Skull nodded.

"Let's do it, Joker!" Mona exclaimed.

"I'm done holding back! Now it's my turn!"

Ann spoke as Carmen turned back to a mask on her face before delicately jumping up and in the air, attacking one of the Shadows with her whip by swinging it with firm movements.

"Not enough whip for you? Dance, Carmen!"

Blue flames covered Ann's face as she called her Persona which took the form of Carmen who almost immediately knocked another Shadow down with a fire attack.

"Cry for me!" Another deadly swing came from her whip.

"Scary..." Skull had a cold sweat rolling on his face, "A cougar? Or maybe she's one of those..."

"Don't say cougar! And what do you mean by **'one of those!'** " Ann scolded the blonde-haired.

"Don't let your guards down, rookies!" Mona warned before jumping and shooting his slingshot at a pixie.

"Smash!"

Skull summoned Captain Kidd who cast electricity at the third Shadow and thus, knocked it down on sight. However, the first Shadow stood up again attempting to cast wind that nearly caused the rest to fly back, but they desperately struggled to hold themselves on the floor.

"Arsène!"

Joker knew exactly what must be done and summoned his initial Persona blocking the attack with its wings that repelled the wind until it calmed down.

"One more time!" Ann ordered Carmen who knocked the Shadow down with fire.

"Let's go, you guys!" Joker jumped backward.

"Let's wipe them out in style!"

Ann jumped next to Joker along with Skull before finishing the battle with a stylish All-Out Attack, giving everything they had by attacking it all together non-stop.

"A beautiful rose has its thorns!"

"To think... there would be a woman... who could stand up to king Kamoshida..."

"Pff, outside of school, that guy's nothing but a loser."

"Oh shit...!" Shadow Kamoshida gasped before running away.

"Wait..." Ann collapsed on her knees.

"Why'd you come here, man? And more importantly how?" Skull knelt to her level, concern written all over his face.

"Hey! Is that how you speak to a woman? Are you all right, Lady Ann?"

"Lady Ann...? Wait, what is this thing? Is it alive...? How can it talk? And... where in the world are we...?!"

"J-Just calm down, Takamaki-San." Joker tried to say.

"Everything's going to be okay; don't worry." Mona reassured.

"How am I supposed to calm down?!" She snapped while putting her hand on Mona's head to stand up, "H-Huh? Why am I dressed like this?! When did I-- ugh, what's with this?!"

"Well, I'm stumped... a search party will be coming for us soon. There's no time to explain! We don't have a choice. Let's retreat for now!"

"We were just gettin' fired up, and you had to go and get in the way... urgh... fine..." Skull growled.

"Ugh--" Ann collapsed again on her knees.

"Ooooooh~" Skull sang as he stared at her breasts.

"Don't look at me!"

"Here, gimme your arm. You take the other side." Skull offered his hand to Ann and was assisted by Joker after he activated the Nav.

*******

_**\------The Real World------** _

"Which one do you want?" Ryuji asked Ann while holding two cans of soda.

"Whichever's not carbonated."

"Uh, they're both actually."

"Then..." Ann trailed as she chose one.

"Here ya go." Ryuji gave the second soda to Ren.

"Thanks."

"What about me?" Morgana popped out from Ren's bag

"Huh? But you're a cat." Ryuji pointed out.

"...Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?"

"Umm... Morgana, right? I really am talking to a cat... this feels so strange... oh sorry! You're not a cat, right?"

"It's only natural that you're confused. Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you went through is asking too much."

"Honestly, I still can't believe what happened... and that power... my Persona..."

"It's the will of rebellion, Lady Ann. With it, you'll be able to fight in that other world."

"So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right? Is it really possible? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?"

"The volleyball team's keepin' quiet about this, while teachers and parents turn a blind eye. Goin' all in this plan is the only choice we got."

"Then let me help too. I want to make him pay for what he did to Shiho. He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her, I'll never forgive him. And not Shiho only, but for everyone who suffered from him."

"Wait, did you say **'let me help'**? You mean, you want us to take you along?"

"Don't act like I'm going to drag you down. Weren't you watching? I can fight too."

"Hey, what should we do, Renren?"

"Well, Takamaki-San is very good at fighting. So, she'll be great."

"I agree as well. We are lacking in manpower, after all. Don't worry, I'll protect her." Morgana purred happily.

"Even if you say no, I'd just go in alone."

"Oh right, she can go by herself... I guess it'd be more dangerous turnin' her down... urgh... fine..."

"Then it's decided. Well, I hope we get along!" Ann smiled friendly.

"Welcome aboard." Ren nodded.

"I'm going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho's sake... but for everything he's done. I won't let any more people suffer because of him. I'll do whatever it takes!"

_"Whatever it takes..."_ Ren chanted mentally.

"Also, if it's the four of us, I feel like we can do it. No reason, just a feeling."

"The four of us..." Morgana repeated.

"A woman's intuition, huh? Fine, fine. Even if I voted no, I'm sure I'd be overruled." Ryuji grinned goofily.

"What the hell, Sakamoto?! I'm being serious here!"

"Okay, from today, the four of us are a team, with a common goal. And we will get there. I look forward to working together." Ren smiled.

"Thanks, Amamiya-Kun." Ann beamed.

"Looking forward to it, Lady Ann!"

"Yeah, likewise."

_"I sense a strong fighting resolve from Ann..."_

_**"I am thou, thou art I... Thou hast acquired a new vow.** _

_**It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.** _

_**With the birth of the Lovers Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power..."**_ A mysterious feminine calm voice rang in Ren's head.

_"What's that?"_

"Just let me know when you're heading back in... oh wait! We don't have each other's info. Hey all of you, give me your numbers and chat IDs. And um..." Ann pulled her phone out along with the others, exchanging their contact info.

"I'm counting on you three, then. Same goes for you too, Morgana!"

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann."

"Well then, see ya!" Ann exclaimed before walking away.

"What a kind girl... such admirable consideration for others... and the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal... she cares about her friends, and she's beautiful to boot... what a girl! She captured my heart..."

"Dude. You know, it'd be better if this group could get together quick from now on..."

"True. Our best option would be to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things."

"A hideout, huh...? I like the sound of that!"

"How about the school's rooftop? Nobody goes up there. That should be a perfect hideout." Ren suggested.

"Great idea, Ren!"

"Then it's decided!" Ryuji cheered.

"I can't contact you from inside a Palace, so I'll stay in this world. That being said, I'll need someone to take care of me. I'm personally nominating you, Ren. You should feel honored."

"Wait, what?!"

"...That's all you. There's no way I can at my place."

_**"Attention! The train will be arriving shortly! I repeat the train will be arriving shortly!"**_ The speaker said.

"Well, we now have our hideout, so let's meet tomorrow!" Ryuji exclaimed before running off.

"Okay! Let's go look at my new residence for this world."

*******

_**\------Evening: Leblanc------** _

Exhausted, Ren didn't even know how he arrived home safely since the battle against Shadow Kamoshida took much of his stamina and Morgana forcing him to take care of him wasn't any better at all. On a brighter note, Ann was really amazing in combat and her resolve was very admirable too, so having her on the team was very reassuring. Her resolve to save her friend, the flames of anger that lit in her eyes during her awakening, it was all the same with him and Ryuji, and that was exactly what the three of them had in common, the will of rebellion.

"I'm back."

"The store's still open. Go upstairs."

"Hm...?"

Ren had a questioning look on his face upon seeing a shady-looking woman sitting in the café on one of the booths. The woman had dark blue hair in a messy bob-cut with blunt bangs and brown eyes. She had red nail polish on her fingernails and toenails and accessorized with a red grommet belt, a black studded necklace choker which connects to multiple necklaces, a bracelet, and strappy black platform high heels. She wore a short black jacket, a blue dress with a white spider web design, and black ripped leggings.

"...Yes?" The punk-rock woman seemed to notice how Ren was looking at her.

"Hey, lay off the customers. Sorry if he was rude, Doctor."

_"Doctor? She DEFINITELY doesn't look like one."_

"...I don't mind."

"Come on, you're getting in the way. Go on upstairs."

"Sorry."

"Sheesh..."

"...Thanks. I'll see you later."

"Come back again." Sojiro told the dark blue-haired woman before exiting the café.

"Phew... that's it for today." Sojiro sighed deeply.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh, that customer just now? She's the head doctor over at that clinic down the street. Rumor has it she gives pretty crappy examinations and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that's what I've heard. I haven't been there myself."

"I see..."

"They should really just leave her alone. It's not like she's getting in the way of their lives..."

"Hey, are we there yet?" Morgana asked from inside the bag.

"......." Sojiro had an alerted expression before saying, "Well, I've gotta go home and start making dinner..."

"All right then. Good night." Ren walked up the stairs towards the attic.

Reaching the room upstairs, Ren placed his bag on the table and opened it causing Morgana to jump out from it. His expression grew in shock upon seeing the state the attic was at. Ren surely figured out that Morgana didn't expect that his "new home" would be something more than that.

"What the...?! What is this place?! Is this some kind of abandoned house...?!"

"Be quiet, or else--

"Hey, are you--" Sojiro walked to Ren with an angered expression before noticing Morgana.

"...He'll come." Ren continued his sentence while sweatdropping.

"I was wondering why I heard meowing... what did you bring it here for?!"

"But it doesn't have a home." Ren picked Morgana up before stroking his head, "That's why I brought it here."

"Nowhere, huh...?"

"Yeah. I mean, look at the poor thing."

"Look, this place is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go..."

"Please?"

"Though I guess you might stay on good behavior if you've got a pet to take care of..." Sojiro pointed out before sighing, "Fine..."

"Thank you."

"But keep it quiet when we're open for business. And don't let it roam downstairs, or I'll toss it out. Oh, and I'm not gonna take care of it. That's all on you."

"Fair enough."

Ren nodded in agreement before Sojiro left the room, as he placed the cat back on his bed with a deep sigh of relief. Sojiro sure spoke and treated him roughly, but it seemed that he had wisdom of his own, it was a fair deal indeed.

"Wow, he might not be as a douche as I thought..."

"Was that the ruler of this place?" Morgana asked.

"I guess that's a way to describe it..."

"He seemed pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump. Then again, I suppose to normal people I just sound like a meowing cat."

Morgana pointed out as Sojiro walked inside the room again, placing a dish of food in front of Morgana. The cat's eyes sparkled and lit in joy seeing the sight of the food as its delicious aroma filled his nose as well captivating his senses entirely.

"Seriously... it had to keep calling out in that cute little voice... make sure you wash that dish. By the way... have you decided on a name?"

"Eh? Um, Morgana."

"Morgana? Huh... I was hoping I'd get to name it..." Sojiro sighed before leaving the room.

"That was... unexpectedly nice of him."

"Looks like the chief likes me better than you."

".........."

"And to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida's cells." Morgana pointed out before frowning, "...Remember how you guys asked me before what I am?"

"Yeah?"

"To be honest... I don't remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form."

"Is that form human...?"

"It has to be! I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this? There's no other possible explanation. There's no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I'm sure that once they're purged, I'll finally be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea of what to do too. That's why I was in the castle in the first place."

"Hm..."

"Come to think of it, I didn't get hungry over in that world..."

Morgana told himself before starting to eat the food that Sojiro gave him. He dug in and began stuffing his mouth with big and massive bits. That open appetite left Ren awestruck and thought that Morgana looked like he hasn't eaten anything in days. It didn't take long until Morgana finished his plate wholly and purred in happiness after his stomach got full.

"Let me make myself clear: Your taking care of me won't be for nothing. It'll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools."

"What are those?"

"Whoa, I can't tell you more unless we settle on a deal. In exchange for you keeping me here, I'll teach you about these tools. How does that sound?"

"Sure. Let's do it."

"I like that answer. Hehehe... then it's a deal."

_"Morgana seems rather happy..."_

_**"I am thou, thou art I... Thou hast acquired a new vow.** _

_**It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.** _

_**With the birth of the Magician Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power..."** _

_"This voice again...!"_

"I'll lecture you about the infiltration tools over time."

"Fair enough."

"By the way, the power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it'll be as a trump card. All right, I'm gonna stick with you wherever you go from today on. Personas are the strength born from one's heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it'll affect that power as well!"

"Hm...?"

"And if you become acquainted with capable people, you might learn various, useful skills too... this is all part of our deal, got it?"

"Sure..."

"I expect great things from you. Don't let me down. Okay?"

*******

_**\------Time Skip: Late Night------** _

Several hours had passed since Ren brought Morgana to his new home and went to bed after such a tiring day in the Palace, especially that Ann awakened her Persona and battled Kamoshida's men. Everything was calm and dark. No voice could be heard in that utter and killing silence instead of Morgana's peaceful breathing as he curled himself next to Ren. While the noirest had his gaze fixed on the wooden ceiling above him since sleep had gone from his eyes.

_"I can't sleep..."_ Ren thought to himself, _"I know it's been a little while since I came here, but I already miss home. Despite what mom and dad did to me..."_

_"Even if I have Sakamoto and Takamaki-San by my side now, I still feel lonely... I bet we'll go our separate ways once this is over and forget we ever met..."_

_"I feel so lonely..."_

Then, Ren turned his face to his right, his eyes meeting the sleeping figure of Morgana curling himself next to him, breathing calmly, and having a peaceful expression on his face. That cute scene caused Ren to grin to himself before reaching his hand and stroking Morgana's head gently so he doesn't wake him up. His black fur was soft and touching it like that sent genuine happiness over Ren.

_"But maybe... having company won't be so bad, after all..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty right, we're finally done with this chapter! It's basically almost the same as Infinity so far with some extra minor details added.
> 
> Just wait until Kamoshida's Arc is done so we can get to the GOOD stuff~
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter though! :D
> 
> Published on: Mon/Oct 6/2020


	11. Chapter 07

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparing for the upcoming battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you guys go, the seventh chapter is all here! So sit down, relax, and enjoy the new chapter of Paradox.

_**\------Next Day: Shujin Academy: Class 2**_ - _ **D**_ _ **\------**_

Listening to the lecture of Mr. Ushimaru, Ren still couldn't stop recalling all the crazy events that went down just the previous day with Shiho's attempted suicide, Ann's awakening to her Persona, and all. It felt so unrealistic to be true, then again... nothing about his new life in Tokyo was normal since day one ever since he discovered the existence of the Metaverse and Kamoshida's castle along with Ryuji. Everything was happening so fast and he only started attending Shujin a few days ago, yet a lot of drama was surrounding it already, much to his surprise. A frown was printed on his face as the movements of the pen in his hand came to a halt, stopping from writing down any further words in the process when he recalled his... expulsion. Ren was shamed enough for getting expelled from his previous high school and he surely didn't want to experience that situation again; all the looks and whispers regarding him. And that's why he needed to fulfill the mission by the deadline with his new teammates, no matter what. However, his thoughts were put to a stop by the vibrating sound of his phone--Ann and Ryuji were texting during class, how bold of them.

  
_Ryuji: Hey, we're meeting up at the hideout after school, right?_

_Ann: Don't text now. We're in class._

_Ryuji: Whoa! You mean you're actually listening to all this crap?_

_Ann: Yeah, but none of it is really sticking today..._

_Ryuji: I know, right?_

_Ryuji: Anyways, hideout after school?_

_Ann: Where exactly is this "hideout"?_

_Ren: The school's roof._

_Ann: Wait, we can still go up there?_

_Ryuji: Yeah, I'll let you in._

_Ryuji: Welp, I'll be waiting. Just come on up once school's over._

_Ren: G_ _ot it_ _._

"Hey, Amamiya! You! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone's talking to you?!"

The teacher raised his hand with the chalk stuffed in his palm, sending angry looks at Ren as if he was about to do something to him. The raven-haired knew exactly what Mr. Uchimaru was going to do, so he acted as the teacher threw the chalk powerfully. It flew at an abnormal speed towards Ren who swiftly tilted his head sideways causing the chalk to fly right beside his head and hit the blackboard hung at the back of the class, creating a loud thud. The whole class went silent for a moment after they just witnessed how the delinquent transfer avoided the flying chalk without even breaking a sweat like it was predicted it would happen, and even the teacher had a shocked look on his face while Ren remained cool and collected.

"Whoa! That was an epic dodge!"

"That was nuts... is he a ninja?"

Such murmurs and whispers while the raven-haired just adjusted the position of his glasses over the bridge of his nose while giving Mr. Uchimaru an "innocent" look on his face, making him continue the lecture like nothing happened.

After all, no one messes with Ren Amamiya.

*******

**_\------After School: Shujin's Rooftop------_ **

Opening the door to the rooftop, Ren's eyes were immediately met with the figures of Ann and Ryuji who were sitting on the desks separately while smiling at him kindly. Upon meeting the dark-haired boy, Ryuji's smirk grew wider while Ann gave him a light and friendly wave, both looking rather happy and relieved to see him. Back on the day he first arrived in Tokyo, Ren had convinced himself that he was going to spend his year quietly without causing any problem, do anything to stand out, or not making many friends at all. But since Ren was in that crazy situation, he decided to make the most of it with his new teammates while he could before they all part ways after the job was done... thus, he smiled weakly while approaching them with those thoughts in mind.

"Looks like we're all here. Mkay, let's get goin'!"

"Hold on! It's still too early for us to head to the Palace." Morgana warned.

"But why? Don't we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?"

"But going there without a plan would be a very reckless thing to do." Ren held his chin.

"That's right, Ren. Plus, don't underestimate the dangers of the place. We need to prepare."

"Ain't that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?"

"We can't do things recklessly like this." Ann argued.

"That's exactly what I mean when I say don't underestimate it. You'll die if you mess up in there. So again, we need to prepare before we head in." Morgana rephrased seriously.

"But... how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Ann wondered

"I'm glad you asked, Lady Ann. First, we'll need to find better equipment for all of you."

"You talkin' about weapons? I know a kick-ass place!"

"In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace..."

"And where can we get medicine?" Ann questioned yet again.

"Don't worry, I know just the place. I hope you look forward to it, Lady Ann! Now then, Ren and I have some business in Yongen, so let's head off for today!" Morgana looked at the noirest.

"Uh, what business...?"

"Just come with me! I won't be able to get close enough by myself!"

*******

**_\------Yongen-Jaya's Backstreets------_ **

Going back to the neighborhood, Ren couldn't stop wondering about what Morgana had in mind about the business he mentioned on the school's rooftop. And no matter how much he tried asking him, the cat would always reply to stay patient and how he'd know once they arrived back to Yongen. For that, Ren decided to keep quiet about it and head back to the backstreets as instructed by Morgana to get to the bottom of his question once they get there. Hopefully, when they reach there, he'd start explaining his plan since Ren was seriously confused and lost at that moment... what could he mean by business in Yongen really?

"Hey, remember that customer you met at Leblanc yesterday? The doctor who prescribes medication after a quick examination? She was sitting at the booth..." Morgana informed the boy.

"Yeah, I remember."

"I just realized something. If she's the kind of doctor who gets sketchy rumors like that, maybe she'll help us out. She's somewhere in the neighborhood, right? Take me to her."

"All right then..."

With a shrug, Ren carried on walking in the narrow alleyways of Yongen-Jaya along with Morgana who was commenting on everything he was seeing with wide eyes like a child who saw the world for the first time. That was understandable, given the mysterious origin of Morgana, his claimed amnesia, and where they met him for the first time... but it was still rather cute to see him so charmed by everything his eyes fell on. It was the first time for the raven-haired to explore the neighborhood so freely like that, so he was kind of excited, but his excitement didn't last long since he spotted the clinic not too far away from Leblanc.

Such a letdown.

"This is the clinic that the chief mentioned. Now, how can we get them to give us medicine...?"

"I'm sure we'll make something up."

"...Well, I guess that's the only choice we have. We'll just have to go for it. All right, let's step inside."

*******

_**\------The Clinic------** _

The bell jingled as Ren opened the clinic's door and stepped inside, only to get immediately greeted with the powerful smell of mixed medicines and drugs. Hence, it even smelt a lot worse than a hospital, causing him to try and cover his nose from the powerful smell as a last resort of escaping from it--it was so overwhelming that Ren felt like his stomach did some nasty flips. While still grossed out from the smell, the boy adjusted himself as he took further steps in as his eyes fell upon the doctor who was sitting behind the reception desk.

"...Is this your first visit? Hm? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..." The languid doctor looked closely at Ren.

"Yeah, at Leblanc."

"Hmmm... well, whatever... so, what are you here for today?"

"Actually, my body feels lethargic."

"........" The languid doctor looked at the boy before sighing, "...Fine. Please head to the exam room."

Ren felt that something was off with the doctor's tone to him, but he walked into the examination room nonetheless with the doctor right behind him. Inside, she pointed at the examination chair for him to sit on as she quietly closed the door of the room. With a nod, the boy sat down along with her across him with her legs crossed while carrying a clipboard close to her chest, taking notes on it while stealing a few glances at Ren every now and then. The boy was no fool and noticed how the doctor was eyeing him with that suspicious look on her face, causing his anxiety to build up inside of his chest... but he tried not to show it in any way so her suspicions won't be proven true.

"...In a case like yours, it's usually just due to stress. I'm going to prescribe you some pain relievers, okay?" The languid doctor took notes down.

"Fine by me."

"Actually, I still need to restock those... so let's go with sleeping pills instead. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?"

"Whichever."

"How about a stinky one, then? Just kidding. There's no such pill. All right, why don't we stop beating around the bush..."

_"Oh no..."_

"You're not sick at all, are you? I'm not as dumb as I look, you know. I'm guessing you're here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?"

"That's right. But are the rumors true?"

"Who's to say? But as a result, all I get is patients with ulterior motives now. I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh? Well, fine. I'll prescribe you some medication."

".........!"

"But only medication that will help you recover your health. I guess it's fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don't look like you'll be any trouble. This is my private practice. All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You've likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It's your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that's okay with you, stop by anytime."

"That'll really help, doctor. Thanks."

"Great. It's nice that you're so quick on the uptake... saves me the hassle. You're a pretty weird kid, you know? I wonder what you're going to use the medicine for..."

"Ummm..."

"Well, as long as you don't cause me any trouble, it's not my problem..."

The doctor gave Ren a few bottles of painkillers in which he thanked her in return, earning a nod of acknowledgment from her. Making his way out of the examination room, Ren encountered a roughly-looking man who threw a disapproved look at him, making the boy feel a little uncomfortable as the man headed into the room. Ren shook his head to throw away that unsettling feeling he had and was about to exit the clinic until he heard them talking from behind the door, their voices were muffled somehow but still pretty audible.

"...What's the reason for your visit? Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete's foot? Whatever it is, you'll need to take a number."

"...Enough of this!"

"........?!"

His sudden yell piqued Ren's attention which made him walk close to the door and place his ear on it to get a better hearing of the conversation while holding his breath in anticipation.

"You're the only one who could have developed that kind of medicine."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Don't play dumb with me. Rumor has it, It's a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power."

"Really? That's news to me."

"Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue."

"You're really persistent, you know that? I'm just a quack..."

"The police may not be taking action, but I can imagine the media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You're a disgrace to the medical community."

"...Tsk!"

"What's with the look? That was your mistake, was it not? I won't be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that **'medicine'** immediately and resign. The name **'Tae Takemi'** will never-- Hey, is somebody there?!"

When eavesdropping went wrong...

*******

**_\------Yongen-Jaya's Backstreets------_ **

The raven-haired sighed deeply in relief as he stepped outside of the clinic as if he was holding his breath all the time inside. He got nervous when the doctor saw through his intentions but felt a great belief once she gave him the medicine nonetheless, but his greater nervousness was when the man was about to bust him as well. And yet, the thought of her creating powerful drugs lingered in his mind... was that even possible? And with a small bottle of medicine only?

"Geez, they almost caught us. Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous... could that woman be hiding some extra strong medicine...?" Morgana seemed interested as well.

"We should use that."

"I agree. If it's that strong, it can come in handy at the Palace. All right, let's come back when the man isn't there. We shouldn't involve people who have nothing to do with this. Keep the Phantom Thieves a secret, okay? Anyway, great work! That went really well!"

**_Pi_ **

**_Pi_ **

**_Pi_ **

He pulled his phone out to open the group chat.

_Ryuji: You know there's a shop in Shibuya that sells model guns._

_Ryuji: I'd be glad to take you there if you want._

_Ren: Sounds good._

_Ryuji: Sweet._

_Ryuji: Welp, let's figure out where to meet._

_Ryuji: You at least know how to get to Shibuya Station, yeah?_

_Ann: Hey, I can't make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?_

_Ryuji: You can't come?_

_Ann: Not today. I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital._

_Ryuji: Ah, gotcha._

_Ryuji: Don't worry, we got this._

_Ryuji: Well, seeya in Shibuya, Renren! I'll be waiting in front of the station!_

_Ren: Don't call me that._

"We might be able to get our hands on some decent stuff if this store really has model guns." Morgana pointed out.

That was going to be a _very_ long day.

*******

**_\------Pawn Shop------_ **

Ren went to Shibuya station to meet up with Ryuji as agreed and followed the blondie in the narrow alleys of Shibuya until they came across a pawn shop called Untouchable. The door opened and Ren almost ran away from how bad the smell inside the shop was which was full of model guns and other valuable objects. Did every store in the area smell that terrible...? But then, their eyes fell on the manager who was a middle-aged man with gray hair, faint stubble, sideburns, and earrings. A tattoo of a gecko was on the left side of his neck near the back and had a lollipop in his mouth. He wore a gray hat with yellow ear defenders, a black turtleneck sweater, a long gray coat with a red peace symbol on it, blue jeans, and dark boots.

"...You lookin' for recommendations? I dunno. Just buy whatever looks interestin' to you." The surly manager spoke.

"Ugh, some customer service..." Ryuji growled.

"Fine, whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?"

"Uh, automatic...? Dude, why're talkin' about cars now?!"

"Listen, this here's an enthusiast shop. My regulars'll be mad if I let a casual like you hang around."

"I'm not a freakin' casual! I bought shit from here like, last week!"

"Huh, can't remember you."

"You bastard..."

"And you? Lookin' for somethin'?" His eyes fell on Ren.

"A fancy model gun."

"...Oh? You a collector? Heh, you're way more interestin' than blondie over there."

"Sh-Shut it!" Ryuji grumbled under his breath.

"Anyways... you shoulda said before you two're enthusiasts. I'm always up for helpin' fresh faces. Some precautions first though. Don't go 'round pointing 'em at other people. Keep 'em in a bag or somethin' if you're outside. Oh, and don't let the fuzz catch wind of you having 'em. I don't need them comin' around here."

"We'll be careful, promise." Ren reassured.

"You damn well better be. Now, if you look close, you'll be able to tell these're models. Real guns feel... different. Maybe some day I'll show you the real good stuff though... if you got the **guts** for it, of course. But for now, you get the beginner selection. Just sit tight, I'll bring 'em out."

As the manager left for a room in the back, Ryuji looked at his bud with a mad and wide grin on his face.

"...We did it, dude. We totally gotta go for some fancy shit, right? I want 'em to shine! Oh, and here's the cash of mine. Pick out something good!"

Their eyes sparkled as the surly manager walked back in with a case filled with model guns of all shapes and types. They began holding them to experience the feeling of holding guns while smiling widely. In the end, they decided what they wanted and left with big satisfaction.

*******

**_\------Evening: Leblanc------_ **

It was such a tiring day indeed between preparing items from guns and medicine for the Palace and thus, exhaustion was obvious on Ren's face. He longed to throw himself on his bed and sleep peacefully, he wanted that so badly. When he opened the shop's door, the sight of a customer sitting at the booth while talking to Sojiro unfolded before his eyes. He actually didn't mind it and wanted to just head upstairs to sleep, but their conversation was important to him.

"Boss, did you hear? Apparently, that subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing." A haughty regular spoke.

"You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people're going on about?"

"Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn't even speak when they tried asking him questions."

"There's no way a preposterous story like that could be true. Oh, and sorry, but we're closing soon."

"Hmph, how rude. This must be why you don't get many customers. Your coffee's actually not half bad. The beans must be lamenting the sorry state of the store..."

"Thanks for stopping in. Please come again."

"Hmph. I only say that out of politeness, but... thanks for the coffee."

The haughty regular placed money at the counter as he left the shop with a mocking scuff. Ren was astonished by both the regular and Sojiro's behavior toward one another. He hesitated whether he should ask him about it, and saw his guardian taking a deep tired sigh while running his hand through his hair.

"Sheesh, what a pain... oh... what do you want? If you're bored, go wash some dishes or something."

"Um, how's business?"

"Doesn't concern you. It's all good as long the shop doesn't fail. I'm not gonna go wearing a fake smile."

"But what if it does fail?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'll end up living out on the streets. As long as I'm here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It's like my own personal hideaway. I'd be kinda screwed if I lost it, but I guess you would be too. So, you at least try and be useful around here. Anyway, I'm leaving now. Don't cause any trouble."

With a nod, Sojiro left the shop and locked the door behind him leaving Ren all alone. The noirest wasted no time as he climbed the stairs up to the attic and hoped on his bed wanting to close his eyes more than anything, however, he received a text message from Ann making him adjust his sitting position.

_Ann: So, I went to see Shiho in the hospital..._

_Ren: How was she?_

_Ann: Her condition is stable._

_Ann: They don't know when she'll regain her consciousness though._

_Ren: I'm sure she'll be okay._

_Ann: Yeah._

_Ann: She'll get better, I know it._

_Ann: I just need to believe in her._

_Ann: But... I'll never forgive Kamoshida. He's going to pay for what he did, no matter what._

"We're just about ready to go to the Palace. We just need to assemble some infiltration tools. I'll provide materials this time. Try making a lockpick." Morgana spoke.

"I'll try."

"Everyone starts off a little clumsy. Don't be sad if it doesn't go well at first, okay?"

Yeah, right.

*******

_**\------The Next Day: Shujin Academy's Gate-------** _

While walking towards school, Ren was yawning loudly while covering his mouth, a few tears formed in the corner of his eyes due to his constant yawns. He had stayed up the previous night under Morgana's commands to make a lockpick with his bare hands. He failed many times, and each time Morgana would force him to try again until he was able to make three of them.

But at the expense of sleep.

Near the gate, he saw Kamoshida greeting the students who were walking in as grinning at them. Only him, his teammates, and the volleyball team knew his true colors, so he didn't buy that fake grin at all... it only caused him to knit his eyebrows while frowning at meeting his damned face first thing in the morning. He was responsible for those poor teens' misery, he was trying to force himself on Ann, he drove Shiho to her attempted suicide due to the shameful act he committed on her body... what a sick and despicable man.

"Good morning. C'mon, hurry up and get to class!"

Ren walked toward him with the same stern look on his face.

"Good morning." Kamoshida visibly frowned upon seeing Ren. And he wasn't happy to see him either.

"........."

"...That admirable behavior won't do any good once you're all expelled."

Still glaring at him, Ren made his way into the school building as he glanced at Kamoshida from behind his shoulders who kept greeting students with that fake grin of his. Ugh, just how condescending! And yet on the way in, he saw Emiko standing before the teacher also with an angry look on her face, even worse than the glare she gave Ann on his first day. Ren concluded that she arrived shortly after him, and even though he saw her from the corner of his eyes, her glares never failed to send shivers down his spine.

But, Kamoshida's reaction was unforeseen.

He licked his lips in pure lust upon seeing her.

Ren felt surprised and disgusted at the same time due to that teacher's sudden action... so, did that mean that he set his eyes on Emiko now and was going to be his next victim after Shiho? Oh no. He knew that he was forcing himself at Ann and now he saw that he was after Emiko as well which was absolutely disgusting to him in every way possible.

But...

Would he really care about a girl who did nothing but hurting him without any good reason?

*******

 _ **\------Early Morning: Class 2**_ - _ **D------**_

Homeroom was something less than ordinary to everyone yet it remained an annoying hindrance to some of the students because what was the point of listening to some repetitive school announcements and reports? Time seemed to move slowly to the students of class 2-D as they listened to their teacher Ms. Sadayo Kawakami reading through a piece of paper with bored expressions on their faces. A pair of dull and sullen dark grey eyes were idyllically staring at the window, following the slow movement of the few clouds that scattered in the sky. Ren's morning was already disastrous with the small encounter with Kamoshida at the gate... and although he said anything, the whole situation left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"...Well, that wraps up the homeroom period. Amamiya-Kun, a word with you, please?" Ms. Kawakami glanced at the dark-haired boy.

Oh no... that couldn't be good.

Ren felt all the eyes of his classmates shifting toward him with the mere mention of his name, their murmurs and whispers already flying across the room and into his ears. Not only was his record mysteriously leaked, but rumors and rumors were swirling around the school regarding him that were twisting the truth the worst way possible. He took a shaky breath while forcing his body to stand up from the desk, catching a glance at Ann who gave him a worried expression as she was clearly thinking of the worst-case scenario... maybe about his and Ryuji's exchange with Kamoshida the other day? Well, rumors were flying about that as well that no soul in the whole school was left unheard of the incident. Ren smiled softly at the platinum blonde-haired girl in his way of telling her not to worry about him before following his teacher out of the class into the hallway, closing the door behind them. Despite that... the cold sweat that rolled down his forehead and the gulp he took told a whole different story.

Following Ms. Kawakami who was walking ahead of him, Ren kept an expressionless face as many thoughts began swirling in his mind. That was definitely about Kamoshida, he had a strong feeling about that since he never caused trouble for anyone the first day he transferred... well anyone except for _him_ of course. What'd be the best approach when bombarded with Ms. Kawakami's questions? Fake ignorance? The silent treatment? Denial? Or just tell her everything? He began analyzing every option he had with their possible outcomes, trying to choose the best result that had the best, well... _damage._ But the sudden halt of Ms. Kawakami's movements caused Ren to abruptly stop walking as well, feeling his heart drop for a second as she turned her face at him.

"There's something I'd like to ask you. It won't take long."

"Sure."

The moment Ms. Kawakami opened her mouth to speak, the door next to them opened, making the two look at it as none other than Kamoshida and a dark-haired man wearing a suit, possibly a faculty member, walking out from it along with a red-haired female student. Wait... wasn't that the same kind girl Ren encountered on the train before? What was she doing with Kamoshida...?

"I see you're already getting on top of the problems I'd mentioned this morning, Ms. Kawakami! I appreciate the support." Kamoshida glanced at the brown-haired teacher.

The moment the girl's eyes met Ren's, her red irises lit up ever so slightly as she couldn't help but smile softly at him.

"Thank you again." The student with ribbon in hair bowed to Ren.

"Um, no... it's fine." Ren felt himself getting nervous at her politeness.

"Oh, you know this guy, Yoshizawa?" Kamoshida seemed curious.

"Yes, he lent me a helping hand earlier."

"I recommend you steer clear of the likes of him if you have any consideration for your future. Remember the discussion we just had? There are a number of students in this school you shouldn't get involved with... this one's at the top of the list."

Widening her eyes at such a revelation, Yoshizawa's gaze went back to Ren who pursued his lips in a straight line as he watched the sparkle in her eyes disappear and turn to something else. He could swear he caught the change of color in her face as fear began becoming more visible at it... fear of _him_ \--it was a look Ren knew so damn well and saw many times until now. Despite her past kindness to him, he didn't have any expectations or hope and even figured out she'd look at him like that the moment she knew, and Kamoshida's sick way of twisting the truth made things a lot worse. It was fine though, Ren was used to being looked at in that way that it didn't hurt him anymore... but still, it was quite the shock for her, huh?

"Oh, the delinquent transfer student...?" Yoshizawa gasped softly.

It didn't' hurt him anymore... it didn't hurt him... it didn't hurt him... it... didn't... hurt him.

It _did_ hurt him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to use the guidance office." Ms. Kawakami spoke up.

"Oh, pardon me." Kamoahida chuckled apologetically before looking at Yoshizawa, "We should be going too--don't want to get in the way of guiding this delinquent and all."

He walked away with the man, giving Ren the tiniest smirk of victory that didn't slip unnoticed by him.

"...Please, excuse us." Yoshizawa bowed before walking away.

With a sullen expression on his face, Ren glanced backward at Yoshizawa who seemed to have the same idea as she glanced back at him as well, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before she turned around the corner. Her eyes had the tiniest glint of... regret? Was she remorseful that she acted nice with a troubled student like him?

"After you." Ms. Kawakami pointed at the room.

Nodding to his teacher, Ren was first to enter the room and followed by Ms. Kawakami who closed the door behind them. They both sat down at the table placed inside across each other, looking at the other's eyes sternly in anticipation of might happen next. None of them dared to speak first and break the awkward silence that enveloped the guidance room, only the sound of their breathing pierced through that silence.

"I'm gonna get straight to the point: did something happen between you and Mr. Kamoshida?" Ms. Kawakami was the first to break the silence.

So he was right.

"No, not at all. Why do you ask?"

"Well there was that little exchange just now, but that's not all... he gave me a brief lecture this morning, and your name came up. Something about the dangers of a lack of supervision..."

"...Lack of supervision?"

Of course he'd say something like that.

"I don't mean to pry, but... just make sure you don't go causing trouble, okay? Oh, and one more thing. That girl outside the office--you didn't make a pass at her, did you?" Ms. Kawakami leaned closer across the table.

"What? No, of course not!"

Even the idea that Ms. Kawakami considered such a possibility made Ren sick to his stomach.

"Look... Mr. Kamoshida has a real close eye on you... you've been getting involved with Sakamoto-Kun. You seem acquainted with Yoshizawa-San as well." Ms. Kawakami stated, "...Maybe, you're just naturally drawn to athletes?"

"Athletes?"

"Sorry, bad joke. That's all I wanted to discuss. You're free to go."

*******

 _ **\------Morning: Class 2**_ - ** _D------_**

Swirling the pen aimlessly between his fingers, Ren let out a bored huff as his eyes were glued to the blank notebook open in front of him. So many conflicted ideas were racing inside of Ren's head regarding his coming operation with the others. His preparations were perfectly done after he bought all the necessary weapons and medicine... all that was left was to head to the Palace and steal the Treasure. Yet, was the risk of the possible death of Kamoshida a risk he was truly willing to take...? He shook his head to kick those negative thoughts off his head; he had already made his mind and was willing to risk everything... the injured students and their futures counted on that, Shiho's life counted on that, Ryuji and Ann counted on that. The moment he saw Shiho Suzui on the school's rooftop and all the life she once had in her eyes fade away as she jumped down, he knew there was turning back anymore--no way he'd let another person die in front of him. 

Not... ever... again.

The sudden buzz of his phone pulled him out of the abyss of his own mind as he nervously pulled his phone out of his pocket. His eyes scanned the content of the text messages that were floating on his screen one after another, his thumb hovering over the keyboard.

_Ryuji: So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning._

_Ryuji: He was just standing there looking at me with his shit-eating grin on his face._

_Ann: Ugh, that's annoying... he was probably mocking you._

_Ryuji: Honestly, seeing that got me even more fired up about this._

_Ryuji: We're definitely gonna pull this off._

_Ann: Yeah. I'm worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too._

_Ann: And I won't let myself get exhausted like last time._

_Ryuji: The board meeting's May 2nd, right?_

_Ryuji: We just gotta take care of him before then._

_Ren: I'm ready for this._

_Ryuji: Same goes for me._

_Ann: Me too!_

_Ann: I'll do my best. No going without me, okay?_

_Ryuji: Yeah, you better let us know if you're going into the Palace._

_Ren: Got it._

*******

**_\------After School: Shujin's Rooftop------_ **

"I hope you all understand that our time limit is May 2nd." Morgana reminded.

"We basically just have to go to that castle and steal the Treasure of from Kamoshida, right?" Ann asked firmly.

"But wait, what even is a Treasure? I wanna know that before we do anything."

"A Treasure is the physical form of the Palace ruler's distorted desires. In other words, it's the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble... I think. Having said all that, even I don't know what Kamoshida's Treasure is going to be."

"And where can we find it?"

"There's no way of knowing that until we go in and find out. But if I had to guess, I'd say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace."

"Eh, I think I get it now. We just gotta find the Treasure, yeah?"

"Pretty much. There's just a lot we won't know until we go in..." Morgana spoke "In any case, our objective is to find the Treasure's location somewhere in the Palace. Make sure we go about this with time to spare so we can avoid any unforeseen circumstances. I expect great things from you guys."

*******

**_\------Kamoshida's Palace------_ **

After activating the Nav, the thieves found themselves in front of the Castle of Lust once more, but this time in the quest of stealing Kamoshida's Treasure. While walking towards the main gate, Skull abruptly paused his tracks staring at Ann with a visible blush on his cheeks that became rose pink in color. He cleared his throat while feeling that his heart was beating fast because he never saw Ann dressed in something like that before... but damn, she looked so _good_ in that! With a smirk on his face, Joker elbowed Skull to make him snap from his fantasies and return to the real world as he noticed his constant stares at the girl, getting a clear idea of what was going on in Skull's mind.

"But daaamn..." Skull observed Ann's curves thoroughly.

"Hm? What's up?"

"N-Nothing. I was just thinkin' we should choose a code name for you too."

"A code name?"

"I'm Skull, he's Joker, and that's Mona."

"Judging by your costume..." Mona trailed.

"I mean, she's got that tail and stuff, so... whadda you think, Joker?"

" **'Sexy Cat.'** "

"Wait! Is that what you're going to call me from now on?! I am SO not down with this!"

"What do you wanna be called, then?"

"Um, something better than just a little cat... maybe... **'Panther'**? That sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?"

"Huh? Why?"

" 'Cause it sounds more... ferocious?"

"She's a cougar...!" Mona spoke dreamily.

"Don't call me that! More importantly, Kamoshida...!"

"Oh, right. Let's go! All right, let's start fresh and get goin'!" Skull exclaimed.

"It's game time from this point forward. I'll teach you guys the basics of infuriating a Palace as we go."

The newly-founded Phantom Thieves began their mission of infiltrating Kamoshida's Palace and learning the pattern of the castle, safe rooms, how to sneak in among the shadows, ambush enemies with sneak attacks, and the basics of combat. That was the whole concept repeating itself over and over during the time of infiltration in dungeons, hallways, rooftops, and every nook and cranny in it. That state kept going until the party snuck on the second floor of the throne room, encountering a locked door.

Hearing nearby heavy footsteps, Joker pointed to his teammates to rush and hide behind a corner that earned quick and terrified nods from his teammates. Once they did that, they saw a Shadow patrolling the area which had a shiny golden armor, and yet they noticed the keys hanging on its waist. Making her way out, Panther casually walked toward the guard with a smile on her face, much to her friends' shocks, and whispered shouts to urge her to come back to their hiding spot.

"Hi!" She waved at it before running away.

Luring the Shadow to her friends and knocking it down, it had a dark reddish aura coming out of it before transforming into a flying pixie.

"What the hell was that for? Thugs! Ruffians! Brutes!"

"Whoa, she talks!" Skull gasped.

"And she's a girl! I didn't need to use sex appeal!" Panther added shockingly.

Then, Joker pointed his gun at the pixie, earning wide eyes from her in the process at his unexpected and bold move.

"Wh-What? That's not real, is it? If you think you have a chance, do your worst!"

"Give us the key."

"The key? Oh, is that what you want? Fine, I'll give it to you." The pixie said before throwing the key to the noirest, "Satisfied? Then get lost. Just looking at you creeps pisses me off."

"Ugh, what a nasty mouth. Hey, let's get goin'."

"Thank you." Joker nodded to the pixie.

"Hey, what the... you're throwing me off my game." The pixie suddenly blushed from embarrassment, "But maybe it's not so bad. Something's coming!"

Suddenly a bright blue light surrounded her.

"That's right. I remember. I don't just belong to King Kamoshida. I drift about the sea of the human heart."

"Eh?" Mona questioned.

"My name is Pixie. From now on, I'll live within you!"

Pixie said those words before disappearing and turning into a beam of light that took the shape of a mask that hit Joker's own mask and merged as one with it.

"What was that?" Skull asked shockingly.

"I have no idea..." Mona trailed.

_"His power..."_

Not wasting any more time, the party headed back to where the locked door was and opened it with the key they had just obtained, revealing a big room in there. Even so, Joker felt something... different about him, like there was another being within his body, a new entity, or a new soul swirling there. That power... it felt so unlike anything he ever experienced so far, similar to his awakening of Arsene but also diverse from it.

"Whoa, what is this place?! Holy shit! That Treasure thing's gotta be in here." Skull exclaimed before he walked along the others seeing a foggy cloud floating in the air.

"Hey, what is this? It's... floating in the air." Panther looked up.

"Hehe... that's the Treasure. We finally found it!" Mona exclaimed happily.

"Are you sure? That cloudy thing...?"

"Just hold on a second. I was planning on telling you more once we made it this far. Simply finding the Treasure isn't enough. We'll Hence, we'll first need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they're conscious that their desires might be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself."

"But how do we do that?" Panther asked.

"We warn them. Tell them, **'We're going to steal your heart.'** "

"So we're gonna send a calling card? That's totally what a phantom thief would do!"

"Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain! ...I think!"

"That again...? Either way, sounds like it's worth givin' it a shot!"

"Our infiltration route is secure. All that's left now is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the Treasure!"

"This is it, huh?" Panther questioned.

"Let's do this, everyone!" Joker cheered.

"That's the spirit! Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back. Just let me know when you're ready. We'll head back to the hideout and send out that calling card!"

Yeah, they've come this far already and there was no turning back... not anymore. The job had to be done for the sake of every student who suffered from that _monster_ 's abuse. They were going to set them free once and for all.

*******

_**\------Next Day After School: Shujin's Rooftop------** _

"All right! All that's left now is to send out the calling card and take Kamoshida's heart!" Morgana stated firmly.

"Couldn't we have just sent one at the beginnin' of all this...?"

"It's not that simple. A Treasure won't stay materialized forever. Once the impression is gone, the Treasure will disappear. I think it'll last around a day, at most."

"That's so fast." Ann widened her eyes.

"The hell...? That's like no time at all..."

"Then we have to act quick." Ren pushed his glasses up.

"Anyways, we can send a callin' card right now, yeah? Let's do it and steal that bastard's heart!"

"The Palace will go away once you take the Treasure. Make sure you've done everything you need to."

"Then let's send that calling card." Ren spoke up. His voice didn't show any sign of holding back.

"I've been waitin' to hear you say that! Tomorrow's finally the day."

"So we send the calling card in the morning... and carry out the plan by the end of the day, right?" Ann asked.

"Correct. The effect won't last that long. Are you worried?"

"Heh. Waited too long." Ann scoffed.

"Perfect."

"We're going to pull this off, no matter what!" Ann narrowed her eyes.

"So, who's going to write the card?" Ren questioned for the matter-of-factly.

"Leave it to me!" Ryuji volunteered.

"Why?" Ann asked suspiciously.

"Why...? Why wouldn't it be me?!"

"This is important. Are you sure you can handle the pressure?" Ann asked seriously.

"I really wanna get him good! Lemme write it... c'mon, please?"

"Do it. I trust in you." Ren pulled a faint smile.

_"Yeah, trust..."_

"Gotcha! I've got a hundred things I wanna hurl at that bastard rattlin' around in my head!"

"Just make sure it's not obvious who wrote it, all right?!" Ann reminded.

"I know, I know! I got this!"

"All right, then! Tomorrow it is! You'd better not slack off on this." Morgana prompted.

It was going to happen, at last, the Phantom Thieves' first mission against a horrified man.

*******

_**\------Next Day: Shujin Academy's Hallways------** _

Making her way inside the school building, Ann tucked a lock of her platinum blonde hair behind her ear, feeling nervous all of a sudden as her jaw clenched tightly. Today was finally the day when they were going to steal Kamoshida's heart and make him confess all of his monstrous crimes. Last night, she went to visit Shiho in the hospital whose condition was stable, and told her everything about the Metaverse, but even the doctors weren't sure if she'd ever wake up.

But she had hope.

She had to do that for her sake, for her best friend who nearly died because of him, and for everyone involved who couldn't speak a word but succumbed to fear. That was going to change sooner or later because the Phantom Thieves were going to set things right and give courage and hope to those people for a better tomorrow. Because no matter how the darkness of injustice would last, the light of freedom would shine for sure. The sounds of loud murmurs and whispers pulled Ann out of her train of thoughts, making her lift her gaze up to see countless students gathered near the bulletin board while talking among themselves. She made her way through them to see many cards hanging on it, calling cards.

Ryuji really had done it.

"A calling card...?"

"I heard it was already posted by the time everyone got here this morning."

" **'Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.'** " Ann read the calling card after taking one of them off the board.

That was...

"...Wow." She trailed before looking behind her to see Ren and Ryuji approaching her.

"Not bad, eh? I looked up a bunch of similar stuff online for reference."

"Meh."

"What?!"

"I know what you wanted to say, but it sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult." Ann flipped the card to the other side.

"Your logo's a little lacking too." Morgana pointed at the poorly-doodled logo.

"Ok, y'know what? Th-That ain't true! Right?" Ryuji turned at Ren seeking his help.

"........." Ren just avoided eye contact.

"Hey!"

"Did Mr. Kamoshida do something wrong...?"

"Does this mean the rumors are true?!"

"Wait a sec... is someone gonna take something from Mr. Kamoshida...?"

"What's this weird logo? And who're these Phantom Thieves of Hearts people...?"

"Mishima, what's going on here...?" Mayu whispered.

"I-I don't know..."

"The Phantom Thieves... of Hearts?" Konno read the calling card with slightly wide eyes.

"...It got everyone excited, so it's all good, yeah?" Ryuji trailed.

"Who's responsible for this...?!" Coming at the scene, Kamoshida asked angrily.

"...Look at that. A predictable reaction for someone who knows what we mean by distorted desires." Morgana spoke happily.

"I think it's hittin' him pretty hard!"

"Did you do this?! Or was it you?" Kamoshida yelled at the students who ran away from him.

"...Was it you three?!" Kamoshida approached the group angrily.

"What if it was, Kamoshida?" Ren glared at him directly in the eyes as the other two did that too.

"Takamaki, you..." Kamoshida trailed looking at the platinum blonde-haired girl who was looking down.

"Stay away from her." Ryuji stood in the middle protectively in front of the girl.

"Sakamoto...!"

"What garbage... eh, it's not a problem. You'll be expelled soon enough anyway."

At that moment, everything around the three froze in place and turned into a black empty void with Kamoshida's Shadow standing in his real counterpart's place. His golden eyes shone in the darkness as they looked at the teenagers--his gaze was so intense that it felt like it was piercing right through their souls, undeniably sending light shivers down their spines.

"Come... steal it, if you can!"

After that sentence, everything returned to normal as the real Kamoshida walked away with a pissed look on his face. What a joke... Phantom Thieves? Steal his desires? He didn't need to be smart to know that it was their doing just to piss him off... not that it mattered anyway. Those damned teenagers couldn't do anything but run those petty mouths of theirs; he controlled his futures in his grip, after all.

"Judging from Kamoshida's response... I'm sure we had an effect on his Palace!" Morgana expressed firmly.

"Does that mean the Treasure's appeared?! We'll be able to get it today, right?" Ann asked.

"It's not just **'today.'** It's ONLY today. The impact of seeing a calling card doesn't last long, and it cannot be repeated. This'll be our chance to steal the Treasure."

"One day's more than enough for us!"

"Then, let's do it." Ren blunted.

"Um, guys? You better see this." Ann pointed her finger in a specific direction.

The two boys did exactly what Ann said only for their gaze to meet the person of Emiko Hayashi who grabbed one of the calling cards in her hands, giving them an extremely dangerous and deadly look in her eyes like she knew exactly what was going on. She didn't say anything but only glared at them in that way before making her way and during all that time, their hearts were beating fast and so once she left, they all sighed in relief.

"Is it just me, or that girl looks very scary...?" Morgana trailed.

On the other hand, while Emiko was walking away in the hallways, she crumpled the paper hardly and threw it away in the garbage while clicking her tongue in annoyance. Suddenly, her phone vibrated receiving a surprising notification, thus she pulled it up to see what it was all about.

"Hm...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie dokie, I think this is a good point to wrap up this chapter!
> 
> Hey, I told you guys before that you gotta wait til the gud stuff to come in this story. I have so many ideas in mind that'll come... in their due time.
> 
> However, I loved that little interaction between Yoshizawa and Ren in this part of Royal, so y'know... as an author, I gotta spice it up and add my own touch. I loved to go more in-depth into Ren and Yoshizawa's perspectives.
> 
> And now that Kamoshida's arc is almost done, the debut of THAT character is approaching fast! Yuppie! (ﾉ>ω<)ﾉ
> 
> He IS coming soon, y'all! ˚ω˚
> 
> Published on: Wed/Nov 18/2020


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stopping pendulum finally swings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, finally! I WAITED TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER SINCE FOREVER!!! HEEEEEYUUUUUUSSSSSHHHH!!!

_**\------Kamoshida's Palace------** _

Everything was finally falling in place. The required and needed items from weapons and firearms to medications were prepared, the calling card was sent, and thus the Treasure should've taken shape by now. It was soon going to be over, that hellish nightmare of Kamoshida's endless harassment of the volleyball was about to end. Just a little bit more. If everything went right, he would confess all of his crimes with his own mouth. Even though Joker hated him _a lot_ for everything he's done for the volleyball team, he still mentally prayed and hoped that he wouldn't end up suffering from a mental shutdown and die. Being thrown behind bars unjustly is one thing, but being responsible for taking a person's life away was a whole different thing.

Even if he was a criminal.

While heading towards the Treasure's vault, Mona noticed the concern and hesitation drawn on the noirest's face. He didn't need much to know what he was thinking and concluded what must've been on his mind, and he completely understood. The mental conflict of the desire to save those innocent students, and yet also not take his life away; a spar of contradicted moralities. As for now, changing Kamoshida's heart was the top priority. The Phantom Thieves finally reached where they were heading to as Skull and Panther looked at Joker with faint smiles on their faces who opened the door in the depths of the castle that they discovered during their last expedition to the Treasure's vault and saw that it had actually materialized and took a touchable form of an enormous crown.

"Aww yeeeeaaaaahhhh! The Treasure has appeared!" Mona exclaimed as his eyes began sparkling.

"Man, it's huge!" Skull widened his eyes.

"What do you think?! It's just as I said! Now we can steal it! Ahh... the shine brings tears to my eyes..."

"...It kinda pisses me off. Why's it so pretty...? Isn't this Kamoshida's desires?" Panther scoffed.

"T-Treasure..." Mona's eyes sparkled.

"Mona...?" Joker trailed.

"Uh, the cat's actin' awfully excited."

"Hey, Mona?"

"What's wrong? Is something...?" Panther didn't finish her sentence.

"Meeeeeoooooowwwwww! Mrrrrrrrowwwww!" Mona was purring loudly as hugging the crown.

"You're waaaaay too excited." Joker sweatdropped.

"...Meow, meow! Mewwwww!"

"All right, that's enough you stupid cat!" Skull spoke as Mona jumped down after returning to his senses.

"Oh, um, yeah... forgive me for displaying such an insolent sight in front of a lady..."

"You were completely out of the character there, Mona. What was that about? You were very different back then." Panther spoke.

"I couldn't stop it either... to think I'd be drawn to human desires this much... doesn't that prove that I'm human?"

"Not really..." Joker sweatdropped.

"How should we know?!" Skull snapped.

"A-Anyways, you guys need to carry it!"

"All you do is bark orders... still, that was easier than I thought! I thought for sure there'd be some insane trap or something."

"But that was way too easy..." Joker held his chin.

"His Palace will disappear if we take this back, right? Kamoshida will change too..." Panther approached the crown.

"...That should be the case.."

"Good. Now's our chance then." Skull said.

Easier said than done, Mona.

Even though the three teenagers were holding the crown together, they were suffering to make their way out of the room. Their breaths were fast and felt like their backs were going to snap at any moment, even their arms were wobbling at how heavy the crown was.

27? 28? 29 pounds maybe? They weren't even sure.

"It's heavy...!" Panther struggled.

"To think it'd go so well... I've even found three Persona users in the process... my judgment was correct. I made the right choice in making a deal with you! Nyahahaha!"

Mona's enthusiasm pretty much caused Joker to sweatdrop while assisting his teammates to carry the crown and shake his head slightly as a sign of hopelessness. Just when the thieves thought that they were approaching the exit to head home after accomplishing the mission easily without having to fight anyone at all, a very familiar feminine voice cheered on loudly.

"Go, go! Let's go! Ka-mo-shi-da!"

"Nnngah!"

That grunt came from Shadow Kamoshida who spiked a mighty and fast volleyball towards the Phantom Thieves that flew in their direction. It happened so fast and they couldn't even process what was going on until the ball powerfully hit the crown and got knocked down from their grips rolling on the floor.

"Uwah--!"

With a sign from the Shadow's hand, the crown shrunk and turned to a handful size before picking it up again and the cognitive Princess Ann came along as well hugging him tightly while standing next to him with a sly smirk on her face. As soon as Princess Ann's eyes met Skull's she gave him a seductive look while licking her lips which made him shiver comically.

"I won't let anyone take this! This proves that I'm the king of this castle--it is the core of this world!"

"That rat bastard... that's how he sees me, isn't it?!"

"Yo, pervert. Were you waitin' to ambush us?"

"I just made it easier to find you. I'll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now."

"That's our line you sexually-harassin' D-Bag!"

"What a selfish misunderstanding..."

"How is it a misunderstanding? You were doing things that you kept in secret from others!" Panther protested.

"The people around me were the ones who kept it secret. Adults who want to share in my accomplishment, students who have the drive to become winners... they willingly protect me so that we all may profit from it."

"Profit?!" Skull widened his eyes.

"How are we all supposed to profit from that?" Joker asked.

"There are too many imbeciles who don't understand that! Including naïve brats like you and that girl who tried to kill herself!"

"True, she's a total idiot... letting you manipulate her, trying to commit suicide... and I'm even more of a dumbass for not realizing that...! But no matter what kind of fool someone might be... they don't need your permission to live their lives!" Panther shouted the last sentence.

"Drop the attitude, you mediocre peasant! There's no wrong in using my gifts for my gain!"

After that sentence, Shadow Kamoshida laughed darkly when a dark aura began surrounding him and enveloping his body in the shape of a tornado.

"Crap. I don't like where this is going..." Skull trailed worriedly.

"I'm a cut above the rest! I'm not like other humans!" Shadow Kamoshida laughed before his body started changing shape as arms popped out of it.

"That's right. Right now, you're no longer human. You're possessed by twisted desires." Mona spoke as Kamoshida continued transforming.

"You're a demon." Joker blunted.

Then, Shadow Kamoshida went berserk, turning to a large pink demon with multiple arms and legs as well as a thick purple tongue, who wore his Treasure as a crown. He carried golden eating utensils in his lower arms, while his upper pair carried a riding crop, and a wine glass he drank in which Princess Ann stood inside it.

"That's right. I'm not like you... I'm a demon who rules the world!"

"Wh-What the hell...?!" Skull shouted.

"Hahaha! Gyahaha! I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want!"

"You're wrong. Let's finish this, Kamoshida!" Joker pointed his finger.

Shadow Kamoshida began the battle by spiking a humongous golden volleyball creating a massive wave of wind, thus throwing everyone flying backward.

"He's way stronger like this!" Skull said as he sat on his ass.

"Do it again, Sensei!" Princess Ann cheered standing inside the wine glass.

"I know! But first I need to increase my vitality!" Shadow Kamoshida said before licking the glass.

"Oh, you!" Princess Ann sang as an orange aura came out of the Shadow.

"This is bad." Mona told Joker who nodded before both of them throwing smoke bombs at the same time.

"Where are you? Where'd you go?"

"Remember, we're only after the Treasure. Look! We can steal it from over there!" Hiding behind a corner, Mona pointed at the balcony up.

"But that's impossible. We'll just..." Panther trailed before Shadow Kamoshida spiked another volleyball.

"Looks like a job for me." Skull spoke.

"Yeah. Time to show off your monkey-like agility!" Mona agreed.

"Don't call me a monkey!"

"Be careful." Joker smiled reassuringly.

"I'm not expecting much..." Panther started.

"Hey!"

"...but I'm counting on you." She continued her sentence while smiling.

Skull had a shocked look on his face hearing those words coming out from her mouth. He felt a genuine trust coming from Panther's words despite everything that happened between them, despite their _history_ together, and that feeling alone made Skull smile back at her.

"Leave it to me!"

Shadow Kamoshida had spiked another mighty explosive volleyball creating a heavy wave of smoke. When it settled down, the sight of the two teenagers along with Mona stood across the foe.

"Finally showing yourselves, huh? Where's Sakamoto?"

"Beats me. Probably got scared and turned tail." Mona said.

"I'll kill that cat later." Skull mumbled to himself from behind his hiding spot on the balcony.

"The three of us are more than enough to take down a creep like you! Carmen!"

"And Zorro!"

"Arsène!"

All the three spells combined from fire, wind, and curse ran toward the enemy, hitting it with one single blow and making him waddle in his standing position for a few seconds.

"Bastards! How dare you?!" He shouted before a pair of legs from inside a glass he was holding flew to inside his mouth recovering what he lost from his health.

"How refreshing!" Shadow Kamoshida laughed while swaying his large tongue.

"What?!" Panther gasped before the tongue knocked her down.

"Looks like we have to break that thing first." Mona said before firing his slingshot at the golden glass.

"Hey! You don't know how much this is worth! It's a national championship trophy!"

"Hey, you shoot at it, too!" Mona called the noirest who pulled the model gun he bought.

"Where did you get that? Stop don't shoot!"

"Too late."

Joker smirked challengingly in a smug way before pulling the trigger, and to his surprise, the gun actually fired a real bullet that nearly broke the glass.

It only created cracks on it.

"What?" Joker widened his eyes.

"Told you. This is the cognitive world. Despite it being only a model, if he thinks it's a real weapon it'll become the real thing."

"What did you do, you bastard?!" Shadow Kamoshida yelled at the noirest who was still looking shockingly at the gun before licking the other glass again.

"Experience the killshot feared by the whole world! Gold Metal Attack!"

Shadow Kamoshida jumped, spiking yet another powerful volleyball. This time it was much stronger and more powerful than any other one sending all the group flying backward and creating a strong explosion along with a heavy cloud of smoke.

"Guys!" Skull cried out.

When the smoke was gone, all of Mona and Panther laid unconscious on the floor while the injured Joker was struggling to stand up.

"Let's do it again!"

"Go-go, Kamoshida!"

"It's over, you delinquents!"

Shadow Kamoshida was preparing himself to shoot again by powering another massive and strong volleyball. Joker's vision was becoming blurry, his body felt heavy, and his breath quickened. It seemed like no matter how hard he tried to struggle, his body decided to betray him anyway. Then, he lost consciousness as everything around him turned to pitch black and his limp body hitting the floor creating a loud and audible thump.

*******

**_\------The Velvet Room------_ **

The sound of chains clanked inside his ears as his vision began clearing up, making Ren slowly open his eyes, seeing himself inside the room he went into a few times already. He thought that he died, but seeing himself in that room meant that he only lost consciousness during battle.

"You're pathetic, Inmate!"

"You're in the presence of our master. Restrain yourself."

"Are you satisfied with this? Just as before, without residence, without action?" Igor chuckled mysteriously.

"I'm not done yet. I can still fight!" Ren tightened his grip around the cell's bars.

"Very well. Then I shall provide you some aid."

With a snap of his finger, Ren wobbled in his stand like he was losing his balance as a blue light shone from his chest taking the form of both Arsène and Pixie.

"Personas are the personalities that exist within you." Caroline explained.

"By discarding old personalities, your Persona will be reborn anew." Justine added while preparing the guillotine.

**_"Though I may disappear at this moment, I shall always be at your side. When thy fate reaches its end... we shall meet again, Ren Amamiya."_ **

"........!"

Those were Arsène's last words to his wielder before the blade went down cutting him off. It happened so fast almost in a blink of an eye making Ren feel a thousand knives piercing through his heart as both Arsene and Pixie disappeared and merged as one to give the form of a new reborn Persona.

"A new Persona has been born. This is the first step to rehabilitation. You may continue to strive."

*******

The battle wasn't over yet since Panther and Mona finally regained their consciousness much to Skull's relief. They faced some difficulties when trying to stand up carrying their melee weapons again, but managed to gain their posture nonetheless.

"Gold Medal Attack!" Shadow Kamoshida spiked the ball at the

"PERSONA!"

Out of nowhere, Joker shouted on top of his lungs with his eyes turning golden in color. A massive storm blew over, repelling Kamoshida's last attack and when it cooled down, a new-born Persona revealed itself, roaming in front of Joker.

Agathion.

"What?" Shadow Kamoshida gasped.

"A new Persona?! A human can use multiple Personas? What... is he?" Mona trailed shockingly as Joker's eye color returned to normal.

"Gyahahaha...! You really think you can defeat me you little punks?!"

"We know that we can defeat you." Panther prepared her whip.

"What if I tell you that I have something you all want?"

"What does he mean by that...?" A cold sweat rolled down Mona's face.

"Guards!"

"Hey, what are you doing?! Let go of me! I said let go of me this instant!"

It was a feminine voice that rang like that and caught the attention of the Phantom Thieves. Once the guards arrived in the room, they widened their eyes fully to see them dragging a person they know inside who was struggling and trying to break loose by kicking the air with their legs only to be thrown down on the floor on their face.

"Hayashi?!"

"Hayashi-San?!"

"Mikki?!"

"Who?!" Mona was completely at loss.

"What the hell...? First I find myself in a weird castle, dragged by those, and then--UWAAAAH!"

Emiko yelled in surprise after she stood up as her eyes fell upon Shadow Kamoshida making her jump backward. It was extremely huge with multiple arms and swinging its large violet tongue at her while laughing darkly.

"A m-monster?! Wh-What is this?!"

"Nice to see you again, Hayashi."

"Wait... Kamoshida?!"

"That's not the real Kamoshida you know, It's his Shadow or his other self."

"A-A talking caaaat?! Am I going crazy here?!"

"I am NOT a cat!"

"Hayashi, what are you doing here?"

"That voice... Takamaki?! And you must be... Amamiya?!"

"Hayashi-San, you--"

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

"Ahahaha, yes! This is exactly how I wanted to see you, Hayashi. That look of fear in your eyes."

"Kamoshida...!"

"Pop quiz: Did you know that this girl shot her own father when she was only thirteen?"

"Huh?!"

"Wh-What...?" Skull widened his eyes.

"D-Does that mean that the rumors were true...?" Panther trailed shockingly.

"I know that because Shinohara told me everything about it. She even witnessed it herself. And it's already out there on the internet."

"........!"

That was it.

Joker couldn't believe what his ears were hearing and thought his ears were playing tricks on him. The mysterious rumors shrouding Emiko were her killing her own father? Was that also why she stopped talking with Ryuji? Was that why she acted the way she did with him? Because she was, in fact, a murderer? Joker knew well that one shouldn't judge a book from its cover, but he never thought that the girl who _once_ was Skull's childhood friend murdered her own father, and even Kamoshida confirmed that there was a witness. Sure he could be bluffing about Mayu Shinohara, but she's her neighbor and lives right next door to her, so she could've seen what happened that day.

He didn't know what to believe at that moment.

Emiko on the other hand, clutched her nails tightly through her hair as her eyes widened fully and her breathing rate quickened crazily to the point of panting rapidly and heavily. She couldn't take it as her knees began shaking uncontrollably and fell on them. She couldn't breathe, move, or do anything. She only remained kneeling in her position as if all of her senses were paralyzed. She felt asphyxia, slowly choking despite her panting at a crazy pace as if her lungs were filling up with water. Her limbs were also starting to grow numb regardless of how much they were shaking, and her eyes were going to turn bloodshot from how wide they were open.

Until...

"Do you remember it, Hayashi? The moment you pulled the trigger? The sound of the bullet? Blood spreading everywhere?"

"Stop..."

"Do you remember the sound of your dad's scream once the bullet pierced through his chest?"

"N-Ngh... no...!"

"Do you remember the blank expression on his face once his dead body hit the ground? The bullet hole on his head?"

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

That was the scream of pure agony as Emiko lifted her face up in the air letting out her loud and captivated screams that pierced through the ears of everyone that was present in that room and cutting deeply through them. Her fingernails dug even deeply through her hair as she lifted her head up and down, up and down, over and over again still screaming on and on. Taking the opportunity of Emiko's mental breakdown, Shadow Kamoshida spiked another massive golden volleyball which was stronger than all the previous ones that flew at an inhuman speed towards her.

The sounds of the thieves calling her name faded in her ears as her death was approaching her. Acting fast, Joker ran towards the girl grabbing her from her wrist and pulling her body close to his as he jumped away to avoid the collision, but it created a blasting impact throwing them both away in the air. Joker rolled several times on the ground with Emiko still in his arms and firm grip, but she was perfectly fine.

"Joker!" Panther and Mona ran towards him.

The noirest had some difficulties while getting up, but he reassured his teammates that he was fine. His face was covered with light scratches and wasn't anything serious, but noticed that Emiko hadn't woken up yet and wasn't moving at all, thus he tried shaking her lightly.

"Hayashi-San? Are you all right?"

No response...

"Gyahahahaha!"

"Kamoshida...!" Joker gritted his teeth angrily.

"Prepare for your death!"

With that sentence, reinforcements of guards kicked the doors open and rushed into the room trapping Joker, Panther, and Mona into a circle. Their eyes darted left and right as they stuck their backs to one another, but it seemed like those guards were endless. A cold sweat rolled down Joker's face while pulling his knife up realizing the situation they were in.

They were outnumbered. Greatly.

*******

Darkness...

Emptiness...

Nothingness...

Those were the scenes that unfolded before Emiko's eyes. She couldn't see anything and wasn't able to move a limb of her body. Could it be that she died? Soft groans escaped her lips as her dark brown eyes slowly fluttered open making her wake up from her somehow slumber while holding her aching head. Her eyes darted around her while standing up to see nothing. There was literally nothing around her. She just stood inside a dark and empty black void with nothing in it at all.

"Where... am I?"

_**"O my child, will thee really let this end like that?"** _

".......!"

That voice came from a shiny blue butterfly roaming around the girl leaving a trail of sparkles as it soared around her.

"Let it end like that?"

**_"_ ** **_Thee stand on the cusp of death yet thee stare at it, doing nothing. Thee treat it like thy punishment for the consequences which thee had no control over."_ **

"Of course I had control over. I _chose_ to pull that trigger while I could've taken another action."

**_"_ ** **_Thee did not choose that action, thee were forced to take it. The loving father thee used to know was long gone. Thee tried saving him, but thee couldn't. It was not thy fault he turned the way he was."_ **

"Shut up! I killed my dad! I don't deserve to live...!"

**_"No one deserves to die, mine lovely child."_ **

**_"Maybe thy father did not deserve to die, and so thy mother as well. Or would thee prefer that she died because of him?"_ **

"Of course not..."

**_"Thee saved her, not in the best way, but it was better than losing both of thy parents."_ **

_**"** _ **_Now tell me, a_ ** _**rt thee willing to witness the demise of another soul?"** _

"I--"

_**"What has been gone cannot be retrieved, but thee can save what is left."** _

"........"

_**"Thee had no choice back then. Had thee not acted, thee would have lost thy mother as well."** _

At that moment, a pool of crimson red blood formed beneath the girl's feet and extended to fill the endless realm of darkness and blackness she was in. On the surface of the pool appeared the image of a man with dark hair and a huge laugh on his face while carrying a young girl on his shoulders happily.

_**"Thy father couldn't be saved and thee know that, but thee can save them.** _ **_Those youths who art risking themselves for you."_ **

**_"Thou have the choice now unlike that day. Thee can act, you can scream out loud, thee can silence the injustice!"_ **

"I can..."

**_"Would thee submit to the established pecking order? Or would thee raise thy flag of chaos?"_ **

_**"Shalt thee accept mine own power?"** _

"Yes... give it to me!"

**_"Excellent, then let us forge our pact."_ **

With that sentence, a strong beam of light that surrounded the blue butterfly took the form of a white silhouette offering its hand to Emiko. Scarlet red anemone flowers grew out of the bloody pool, opening their petals, evolving to beautiful roses; _a symbol of death and birth._ She pushed all of her hesitations away as she took the hand of the glowing silhouette accepting the new power given to her.

An unbreakable contract.

*******

"Eat this!"

Panther screamed out while grabbing a guard from his neck using her whip and throwing him down. Joker and Mona were also having a hard time fighting off the guards that even their Personas weren't enough. Every time they'd defeat a number of them, more and more came in endlessly. Shadow Kamoshida laughed victoriously and Skull wanted to jump down and help his friends but couldn't, he had to stick to the plan no matter what.

It was a hopeless battle.

"Ah..." Emiko held her head as she stood up on her feet.

"Hayashi?!" Panther called.

"We must get her out of here!" Mona shouted while firing his slingshot.

"Huh, you're already awake? Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Just sit down and enjoy the death of those thieves. They're going to die because of you, you know."

"Hahaha..."

"What's so funny?"

"Your stupidity, of course. Who said that I'll ever let you accomplish what you want, Kamoshida?"

"You talk big, but what can you do, Hayashi? Guards, kill her!"

Responding to the king, a group of the guards left the Phantom Thieves and ran at their top speed towards Emiko with their swords drawn out, and yet the girl kept a cool smirk on her face while not moving at all.

"Hayashi-San!"

"Come."

That word came out darkly from her lips causing a massive and destructive wave of wind to blow over the room sending all the guards that were approaching her flying away. When the wind cooled down, a powerful and unbearable headache attacked Emiko causing her to scream loudly and her eyes turning to gold in color.

**_"I am thou, thou art I..."_ **

**_"Thou who had chosen to protect those who art dear to thee."_ **

**_"Never hold back anymore!"_ **

"I call you... Valkyrie!"

Blue flames roamed around her face taking the shape of a white masquerade mask much to everyone's surprise. Her fingers reached for it grabbing it before tearing it off by force. She let out a loud and painful scream as blood covered her entire face which was lowered down. Blood dripped from her face and down to the floor as the room grew in silence.

"Haha... haha... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

She laughed out loud crazily in sick thrill before her body was drowned with blue flames taking the shape of a tornado sending everything flying away. The Phantom Thieves and the monster struggled to remain standing from the powerful wind as the guards were already sent flying in all directions. After everything cooled down, they opened their eyes again to see what was unfolded before them.

Emiko stood in the center of the room wearing a desert-colored military jacket, bulletproof armor of the same color, and combat boots, as well as a white muffler around her neck. Unlike her real appearance, her hair was pale blue that was casually short, with a tuft of hair tied up on both sides of her forehead, and her eyes became indigo-colored. Behind her was her newly-born Persona which took the form of a blonde female with an eye that was red and the other was aqua wearing royal silver armor and had enormous angelic white wings that were flapping soundly, carrying a long spear with a circular head.

"A Persona...?" Joker widened his eyes.

"No way! She has the potential too?!" Mona shook his head shockingly.

"You just messed with the wrong girl, Kamoshida. And she's very angry!"

"Guards, what are you doing?! Kill her!"

"Show them what you're made of, Valkyrie!"

Hearing her owner's call, Valkyrie swung her spear in the air, creating a snowy cold wind that blew across the room that froze the guards in their places as ice covered their bodies entirely.

"Look out!" Panther called.

A few of the guards somehow escaped from the freezing wind and ran towards Emiko ready to jump and apprehend her down. However, with swift moves, she was able to easily dodge the first one and send a mighty kick to the head of the second one and punch the face of the third before jumping back on her feet. It seemed like she was experienced in hand-to-hand combat given her flexibility and force.

"Whoa...!" Skull widened his eyes in awe from his hiding spot.

"Amamiya, your gun!"

"Eh?"

"Give me your gun, fast!"

With a nod of acknowledgment, Joker tossed his gun and threw it up in the air to the girl who successfully caught it with one hand.

**_Find another one to bother, because I would become your worst nightmare._ **

A sly smirk printed on her face before dashing across the room going on an all-out spree in firing the bullets on the unfrozen guards. It was a shower of non-stop fire and each bullet hit the target perfectly on the head.

Her eyes widened open slightly, noticing that a guard was jumping to attack Joker from behind, and thus she pointed the gun and quickly fired a bullet that flew towards the Shadow. It was so close to Joker's face that it touched the left side of his head, causing a few strands of his hair to fall down as it killed the Shadow behind him which was the last one of them. Cold sweats rolled on his face when he realized that a few more centimeters to the right, the bullet would've hit his face and possibly killed him if she wanted to.

"Heh, you're not bad for a rookie." Mona smirked while folding his arms.

"Do you want a bullet in your face?"

"Th-That won't be necessary..."

"I'm the king! If I'm not, then who is?! How dare you keep defying me... looks like I gotta bring out the big guns! Slaves! Bring over you-know-what!" Shadow Kamoshida called, "Time for my killshot from when I was active and rockin' it! Killshot... as in I'll make the kill! What's the holdup? Where's my ball?!"

"I-I'm so sorry, King Kamoshida! I-I have it right here!"

That broken and cracked voice rang through the room as hurried footsteps made their way inside toward the Shadow as if their wielder was terrified of whatever punishment that might come after them. A bandaged figure stared at Shadow Kamoshida with their horrified hollow eyes that were deprived of any sign of life or light in them. A pair of arms and legs shook uncontrollably as a volleyball was being handed to the enemy with trembling injured limbs. Once realizing whom that very _familiar_ figure belonged to, the eyes of the Phantom Thieves were shot wide open in both shock and disbelief. What was _he_ doing here of all places?!

"Too slow, Mishima! Worthless chump!" Shadow Kamoshida scolded condescendingly.

"M-Mishima?!" Skull widened his eyes from his hiding spot.

"Wait, what?! Why's he here?" Panther gasped.

"Hey, cat! What's the meaning of this?!" Emiko called angrily.

"Calm down. That's only Kamoshida's cognitive version of him! It's not the real Mishima!" Mona clarified, "It feels like he's gonna attack! Keep your guard up!"

"Good, Mishima--now pass it to me! Don't tell me you don't even do something as simple as that!" Shadow Kamoshida scoffed.

Stealing a quick, horrified glance at the thieves, Cognitive Mishima threw the ball in the air as Shadow Kamoshida jumped up high, preparing his arm to deliver a mighty spike at the teens. Skull's eyes were wide open at the sight of the upcoming attack as he witnessed himself what the last one did to his comrades--it wasn't beautiful at all. He wanted to scream, jump to their side, and protect them but all of that would only ruin their plan of taking down the enemy, putting all of their efforts to naught. Yet he wasn't going to stand idly and watch them hurt in front of his eyes again! If he could jump while Shadow Kamoshida was still in the air and knock that goddamn crown off his head while he was least expecting it. Glancing downward in panic, Joker's stance remained unwavering as ever as he looked toward his friend's hiding spot, giving him a confident smirk as if he knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Take this!"

Shadow Kamoshida's scream burst out loudly as he spiked the volleyball with every strength he could muster, intending to end the thieves for damn good. The ball was surrounded with a golden aura as it flew down, creating a massive air tide around it--that thing was on a whole different level than the last one!

"Agathion!"

"Valkyrie!"

With that simultaneous call, two Personas emerged from the masks of their wielders as they flew toward the attack. With Valkyrie swinging her spear, the ball froze in the air after she cast icy wind and with Agathion's curse spell that emerged from the floor, the ball was completely destroyed, turning to nothing but a cloud of smoke and ashes. Glancing backward at the now pale blue-haired girl, he gave her a satisfied smirk with the outcome of their impromptu combo attack to which she scoffed lightly in response.

"I knew it... I can't go all-out with Mishima providing the backup. Hey, shit-for-brains! Get off my court!" Shadow Kamoshida growled, clearly pissed from his failure.

"I-I'm sorry, King Kamoshida!" Cognitive Mishima ran away, nearly tripping by his own feet.

"Next slave, get out here! Hurry up with my damn ball!"

The thieves' ears perked up once more at the sound of heels clicking on the floor that were approaching the Shadow with a steady and confident pace, unlike Cognitive Mishima. Panther let out a loud gasp of surprise while covering her mouth as her eyes met a pair of brown ones she knew too well. Because who stood in front of her was none other than her friend who was fighting for her life at the hospital at that moment, Shiho Suzui. But she looked like a scantily clad playboy bunny, wearing a fluffy white bikini with matching wristbands and collar, a white rabbit tail and ears with hot pink heels and a crown.

"King Kamoshida, I've brought you your ball, just like you asked." Cognitive Shiho slurred in her words.

"Now there's a good girl, Suzui. Yeah, all women should obey my orders like this--ain't that right, sweetheart?"

"S-Suzui-San?! No, that's..." Joker had a cold sweat rolling down his forehead.

"N-No way! What's Shiho doing here?!" Panther was freaking out.

"Panther, calm down! That's not the real one!" Mona tried to calm her down.

"Y-Yeah, you're right... but, this is just..."

"...Disgusting." Emiko continued her sentence, gritting her teeth in pure anger.

"Dammit, even Suzui too! You've gone too far, you piece of shit!" Skull growled under his breath, trying his hardest not to scream and expose himself.

"...Ah, I get it! You want to see my killshot again, don't you?"

_"If we keep attacking Kamoshida while he's focusing on his killshot, we could be able to stop him... or should we take down the cognitive Suzui-San so he can't get the ball anymore...? Since that's just a cognitive Suzui-San, attacking it shouldn't have an effect on the real one..."_ Joker thought.

"What do we do?" Mona questioned.

"Too slow." Emiko positioned the gun at Cognitive Shiho, ready to take the shot.

"No!" Panther yelped while grabbing Emiko's arm.

"H-Hey, what are you--"

Before she could continue her sentence, the bullet was fired from the gun toward the ceiling. Skull covered his head with his arms as small pieces from the ceiling fell on him, hardly causing any harm at all since the bullet was fired right above him. He felt a slight shiver run up his spine, seeing how close it was to kill him hadn't he shifted a bit while hiding.

"Panther! Are you okay?!" Mona jumped in panic.

"You moron, are you out of your mind?!" Emiko forcefully yanked her arm from Panther's grip, "Do you have a death wish or something?!"

"No, you can't hurt Shiho!"

"Open your eyes, idiot! That's not your real friend! She's fighting for her life like we're doing here! Or don't tell me you're fine with seeing her like... this!" Emiko pointed at Cognitive Shiho for emphasis.

"I-I know, but it's just... I..."

"Panther, let's just trust Hayashi-San." Joker eyed his teammate firmly before glancing at the girl.

"...Yeah, you're right." Panther sighed deeply before looking at Emiko, "Take her down... for Shiho."

Smirking ever so slightly at her response, Emiko took aim at Cognitive Shiho once more before pulling the trigger of Joker's gun. The bang echoed through the room and pierced through right everyone's ears as it flew toward the cognitive dark-haired girl. A blood-curdling scream blew over as the bullet penetrated her forehead, leaving a hole in it as her body vanished in thin air in the form of black smoke, her scream still ripping Panther's heart in half as it faded away.

"Hmph, even Suzui was useless. Looks like I'll have to give her some special instruction later... one-on-one!" Shadow Kamoshida muttered the last part, but still loud enough for the thieves to hear.

"Kamoshida, I'll never forgive you!" Panther yelled at him.

"Sorry, Suzui... I swear we'll beat that bastard's ass!" Skull mumbled to himself.

"What's the matter, slaves?! Hurry up and bring me more volleyballs! I can't serve up my killshot without any balls! Huh?! Did I just... am I really out of slaves?!"

"We won't get anywhere with brute force..." Mona trailed.

"Any ideas?" Panther questioned.

"Hey, rookie. See that trophy Kamoshida's holding? He uses it to heal himself whenever we damage him, so our attacks weren't that useful on him. Ren only managed to crack it, but we need to break it." Mona glanced at Emiko from the corner of his eye.

"No need to say anything else." She positioned the gun.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Shadow Kamoshida yelled.

"One shot..."

Her fingers pulled the trigger and the gun fired the bullet which flew towards the golden trophy held by Kamoshida. Once it collided with it, it broke easily as the fragments scattered in all directions amongst the shocked expression of the Shadow.

"...double kill."

"N-Nooooooo...!"

"Kamoshida, you told me that you'll take my innocence away if I open my mouth, right? The person who will take my innocence will be from my choice and with my own free will, got that?"

"That girl..." Mona narrowed his eyes.

"Skull!" Joker called.

"Take this! Now!" The blondie jumped down, knocking the crown off the Shadow's head.

"Go-go, Kamoshida?"

Princess Ann was cheering when the glass fell down to the floor. and she turned into a pile of blue mold as the crown had also shrunk and turned to normal size.

"The symbol of my kingship!"

"Checkmate!"

Joker smirked before they all jumped performing an All-Out Attack, finishing the battle on the scene making Shadow Kamoshida revert back to his previous form; weak and vulnerable. The crown rolled down and turned into a small one again as the Shadow took it and ran off toward the balcony's door.

"Ah!" Skull yelped before all the group ran to him.

"Nngh..." Shadow Kamoshida ran left and right aimlessly.

"What's wrong? Not running away? Why don't you run...? Aren't you a great athlete?" Panther asked.

"It's always been like this... all those goddamn hyenas forcing their expectations on me...! I'm doing this all for them! What's wrong about demanding a reward for that?!"

"Now you're makin' excuses...? "

"Reward? You're making me sick, you bastard." Emiko scuffed.

"We'll do something about that distorted heart of yours." Joker added.

"Hrrgh..."

"Scared? Right now, you're seeing the same view that Shiho did. I'm sure they were scared too... Shiho also had no choice but to jump... what will you do? Will you jump? ...Or would you rather die here?" Panther asked while approaching the Shadow slowly summoning Carmen, as Kamoshida's Shadow was terrified like a small child hugging his crown.

"N-Ngh..."

"Do you want to finish him off? It's your call." Mona said while folding his arms.

"No, please wait! I beg you... just forgive meeee!"

"Now you're begging for your life? How pathetic." Emiko nearly spat on him.

"Shut up. I bet everyone told you the same. But you... took everything from them!" Panther yelled loudly as Carmen shot fire on Kamoshida's Shadow who yelped as the fire missed him.

"I accept defeat.... you want this? Take it!" The Shadow said while throwing the crown to Joker who caught it successfully.

"Go ahead and finish me off... you do that... and my real self will go down too... you have that right since you've won..."

Panther was pissed off at Shadow Kamoshida's tears clenching her fist and commanded Carmen to shoot fire, and again she missed.

"Ann...!" Skull called.

"Don't do it." Joker spoke.

"If his mind shut down, he can't admit his crimes." Panther said angrily.

"You're kind, Lady Ann..."

"I've lost. You're through when you lose... what am I-- what am I supposed to do now...?"

"Atone for your sins, Kamoshida. And confess it all." Joker replied to him.

"All right... I'll leave now and return to my real self..." the Shadow slowly started disappearing as he smiled between his tears "I'll be certain that I--"

Before the Shadow could continue, he disappeared turning to beams of light that flew in the air. Emiko let out a deep, distressed sigh as everything was finally over while the three teenagers and the cat approached her with big smiles on their faces. However, their happiness didn't complete as the entire place started shaking announcing that it will collapse at any moment.

"Hey, just so you know, we don't have time to waste. This place is about to collapse!" Mona said.

As all the four teenagers stood in the middle of the room in horror watching the place starting to collapse while yelping, but Mona was chilling on the carpet and licking his paw as if his life wasn't on the stake either.

"Run!" Skull cried out.

Hearing his call, they all started running down the hallway as the entire place was crumbling and falling apart. They even hardly managed to dodge the falling debris from the roof by jumping aside. The rush of adrenaline mixed with the survival instinct kicked in their bodies giving him the force and speed they needed.

"We're gonna die! We're so gonna die!" Panther yelped as she ran.

"Just shut up and run!" Emiko screamed.

"Hey, what the--?!" Panther yelped as Mona jumped from her head and onto Skull.

"Ack! No fair, you jerk!"

"Mroooow!"

Attacking him at the worst time, Skull's knee began hurting and throbbing him, stumbling as he was running. After all, Kamoshida broke his leg, so he couldn't run as he used to do before.

"Gah!" Skull screamed as he fell on his face.

"Ryuji!"

"Heh... It's been a while, so I just tripped, is all!" Skull raised his hand.

He hurriedly stood up and continued to run away before falling debris from the roof could fall on him. The three teenagers continued to run crazily towards the bright white light that was at the end of the seemingly long corridor. But due to her awakening, Emiko felt the effects of the aftermath as her body grew weak and her vision blurred. Her legs could no longer carry her weight and felt herself lose control over her body until she fell down on the floor panting heavily.

"Mikki!"

"Hayashi-San!"

"This must be the aftermath of her awakening, it takes most of the stamina, after all." Mona explained.

"Hurry and get up!" Skull offered his hand.

"I... don't need your help..." She slammed his hand away while panting.

"Now's not the time! You wanna die or somethin'?!"

Deciding not to waste any more time, Joker grabbed the girl from her wrist against her will and wrapped it around his neck as Skull did the same to her other hand. Emiko wanted to argue with them but did not even have the strength to do so, so she accepted their help quietly. All the team continued hurrying between the rocky crumbles and debris and reached the exit at the end of the corridor to return to the real world towards the bright white light to freedom out of that godforsaken place.

*******

_**\------The Real World------** _

"That sucked..." Ann panted heavily.

"I can't... breathe..." Emiko hardly managed to say.

"Mikki, are you OK?! You still alive?!"

"...What does it look like?"

"Holy shit, you totally kicked ass back then! That was so epic!"

"I... don't even understand what happened back then."

"Look at the nav!" Ryuji exclaimed while pulling his phone out.

_**"The destination has been deleted."** _

"...It's true we can't go there anymore." Ann blunted.

"What about the Treasure?!" Morgana was about to freak out.

"Oh right!" Ren reached his pocket and pulled out a gold medal.

"...A medal? Wait, where'd that crown go?" Ann asked.

"What's goin' on?"

"It means, that was the source of Kamoshida's desires. To him, this medal is worth as much as that crown we saw in the Palace."

"An Olympic medal, huh...? Never thought that old man participated in the Olympics before..."

"Then this medal means..." Ren started.

"So, that perv kept clingin' to his past glory and couldn't let it go..."

"But... this means Kamoshida's heart might have changed, right?" Ann asked.

"...Probably."

"Our expulsion's on the line here!" Ryuji snapped.

"This is the first successful example for me too. However, there's no doubt that this has affected Kamoshida's personality quite a lot. The entire palace disappeared, after all."

"Ugh, I feel all antsy! Ain't there a way to check now?"

"We'll know soon enough. No need to rush things." Ren adjusted his glasses.

"Come on, why the gloomy faces? Be happy! We completed this with great success, you know." Morgana said to change the mood.

"We just don't know if everything's OK yet..." Ryuji trailed.

"I'm pretty sure it'll be fine. Remember how Kamoshida's Shadow said that he's returning to his self in reality? Suguru Kamoshida was a scum. Still... he did seem to regain his conscience somewhat at the end."

"I'm pretty sure it worked though. I just feel it." Ren said.

"There are definitely those who have been saved thanks to what you've done."

"Yeah..." Ann pulled a faint smile.

"Anyways, I guess we gotta wait. It all boils down to what's gonna happen to Kamoshida... or if we're gettin' expelled for real..."

"Calm down. Waiting is our best option for now, so we have to be patient." Ren patted the blondie's shoulder.

"Thanks, man. You're right..."

"Excuse me, but will anyone explain what's going on here? What was that place? That power? And what's the deal with all that **'Treasure'** thing?" Emiko had their attention.

"We understand that you have a lot of questions and we're willing to answer them, but now's not a good time. You need to rest from your awakening." Morgana explained.

"N-No way, it even talked here?!"

"Yeah, that's Morgana." Ann smiled.

"And we can't shut him up." Ryuji added.

"Why you little--"

"We'll explain everything to you later, Hayashi-San. I promise."

"I... really need to rest now. I can't seem to process anything now." She talked to herself while walking away.

"She didn't even thank us for savin' her ass back then..." Ryuji's statement caused Ren to sweatdrop along with him.

*******

_**\------Evening: Leblanc------** _

Opening the café's door, Ren was having a relieved and satisfied smile on his face since he never felt at ease like that for a long time. They successfully stole Kamoshida's heart, got to know his new friends better, and felt the amazing power of teamwork in the battle they had against Kamoshida Shadow. All those feelings were moving something inside Ren, but he couldn't determine what it was.

"You sure look satisfied... something good happened?"

"Something like that."

"Hey, you gut a minute? Somethin' I wanna ask you. C'mere, let's have a chat."

"Um, sure..."

"You'll talk with me? You're being unusually well-behaved."

"Sure, let's talk."

_"This may be a good opportunity to deepen my bond with Sojiro..."_

"Good. There's a lot of things I want to ask you. I'll clean up, so just wait there."

It didn't take long for Sojiro to clean the counter in front of him pointing at the chairs across him for Ren to sit on them.

"Hey, how's school? You're not causing any trouble, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Good. I've gotta report to your probation officer twice a month. It's already a pain in the ass as is, so please don't make me have to write even more crap. Got that? This society is kept in check by laws and authority figures. You can go and get yourself killed if you want, but don't go dragging other people into your mess. The last thing we need is more idiots like you roaming around."

_"God, he's even worse than my dad..."_

At that moment, Sojiro's phone rang and thus he picked up the call.

"Hm? What's wrong? Yeah. I'm heading out now. Sorry about that. I know. The usual, right? OK, I'll see you later."

"........."

"As you can see, I'm pretty damn busy both at work and in my private life. If you could lend a hand, it'd really be a great help..."

"I'd be glad to."

"Now we're talking. Either way, I won't ask you to work for free. If you agree to help me, then... I'll teach you how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Not a bad trade, eh?"

"Yeah, sounds interesting."

"All right. Looks like we've got ourselves a deal."

_"The distance between me and Sojiro seems to be closing slightly..."_

_**"I am thou, thou art I... Thou hast acquired a new vow.** _

_**It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.** _

_**With the birth of the Hierophant Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power..."** _

  
"I'll be counting on your help. See ya later."

With a smirk on his face, Sojiro left the shop locking the door behind him. Ren was smiling serenely to himself as he felt a bond slowly forming with his guardian knowing that staying with him perhaps won't be that bad as he originally imagined.

"Making coffee, huh...? That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Ren chuckled to himself.

"I heard that the ladies like the man who can make a good cup of coffee. I wish I could prepare good coffee and impress Lady Ann..."

"Oh, Morgana." Ren rolled his eyes playfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lord... I FINALLY wrote this chapter which I wanted to write for so long! FUCK YESSSSSS!
> 
> I honestly wanted to make Emiko's awakening derive from canon and make it unique from the rest of the Phantom Thieves for a change.
> 
> Was it better than Makoto's awakening in your opinion?
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it and its symbolism though~
> 
> Ah yes, I dunno if you've noticed the changes in Kamoshida's boss fight, but I made it as a mixture between P5A and Royal. Hope it was good enough and satisfying ro read! 😁
> 
> And now that Kamoshida's arc is wrapping up, he will make his debut real soon~
> 
> So look forward for that!
> 
> Was it better than Makoto's awakening in your opinion?  
> 
> 
> Published on: Mon/Dec 7/2020


	13. Chapter 09

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth they all desired to hear, is finally granted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, guys. And sorry if the updates became less and less, it's all due to college and the approaching mid-terms. Soooo, mom cut my online time even more than usual... hopefully you'd understand. Onto the chapter now!

_**\------??????------** _

Nothing could ever be seen around. It was only pitch black with nothing but blackness. Silence enveloped the area around except for the faint sound of water dripping in the distance and the clunking sound of metal. It was so quiet, and what a peaceful quietness it was. So perfect, so tempting to remain like that, and so desirable--a world of nothingness where nobody can be a source of bother in any form.

But...

"Wake up, Inmate!"

"........!"

A loud gasp escaped from her mouth as her dark brown eyes fluttered open. Heavy pants came out from her lips due to the aftermath of waking up like that as she adjusted her seat, held her aching head, and shook it ever so slightly. Emiko darted her eyes around her to see herself locked in a small room and sitting on a wooden plank as a bed and noticed that she wore a striped black and white suit and no longer had her glasses on her face. Both of her arms and legs were cuffed in chains making her limbs feel numb. She tried breaking free from them much to her shock, but to no avail.

"Wh-What is this...? A prison cell?"

There, at the door of the cell, stood two young girls with platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes. The first one had a long braid, while the other had two hair buns who both wore black eye patches, a blue prison guard outfit, brassards on their left arm, and matching black ties.

"So you finally woke up, Inmate?"

"Inmate...?"

"You're in the presence of our master. Heed his words."

"Master?"

"Titania, welcome to the Velvet Room."

That voice came from a bizarre old man with a long nose pointed ears and bulging, bloodshot eyes who wore a black suit with white gloves sitting at a table in the center of the room. His eyes were fixed on Emiko which caused her to feel a little uncomfortable and alerted.

"Welcome, Titania. I am quite pleased to finally make your acquaintance."

"Titania? What is this? What's going on here? What is this place? And more importantly, who are you?"

"Ah, pardon me for not making any introductions yet. I am fully aware of your confusion, so I shall explain everything to you. I am Igor, the master of this place. And those are Caroline and Justine; they serve as wardens."

"This is a place between dream and reality, mind and matter, and only those who signed a contract may enter this room." Caroline explained.

"You have signed your contract with us when you have awakened your powers; the Persona."

"My Persona...?"

"It is the strength of your heart and the will to rebel against society. The world is not how it should be. It's filled with distortion, and **'ruin'** can no longer be avoided." Igor added.

"Those who oppose fate and desire change from time to time, they were called Tricksters." Caroline began.

"You are a Trickster yourself, Titania..." Justine finished her sister's sentence.

"Now is the time to rise against the abyss of distortion in this world!" The twins spoke together.

"Me? Heh, what kind of a sick joke is that? I am no Trickster or whatever you just called me, and I don't even understand how and why I awakened that power." Emiko chuckled angrily.

"You sure do talk big, Inmate, but someone really needs to shut that mouth of yours. How about you just shut up and listen to what we have to say to you?"

"You--"

"Caroline, please. My deepest apologies regarding her behavior. Caroline tends to be aggressive to new guests here."

" _ **Tends**_ to?"

The _sarcasm._

"Watch it, Inmate. You don't want to mess with me."

"Try me."

"Titania, it is not appropriate to act in such a manner. Our master is offering you great power."

"What do you mean?"

"You hold the power of the Wild Card; the ability to wield more than one Persona. That power holds infinite possibilities. We will assist you in nurturing that potential."

"Huh...? But why me?"

"It is your destiny, Titania. You cannot run away from it; it chose you to oppose ruin and fight alongside the Trickster."

"There's another Trickster beside me? Who are they?"

"That's an answer you have to discover yourself." Caroline scoffed.

"Ah, allow me to add that you cannot fully wield the power of the Wild Card just yet. You must be rehabilitated first, rehabilitated to your future. Your situation is little... unique from the Trickster."

"Different?"

"It seems as though there is a picaresque journey waiting ahead of you. I am aroused to see how you will conquer the difficulties along the way."

"Your time's up, return to your world at once!"

"Wai--"

Along with Caroline's scream, the sound of a bell rang which made Emiko's body unexpectedly heavy. Her eyelids were no longer able to keep themselves open as her numb body fell on the floor after dizziness got the upper hand of herself seeing the image of Igor and the twin wardens fading before her eyes and turning to pitch-black, diving to the depths of darkness.

_"We shall meet again in the near future... Titania."_

*******

**_\-------Next Day Shujin Academy: Lunch Time------_ **

Ren would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, tensed, or on edge. Yesterday, they successfully managed to steal Kamoshida's Treasure and his Shadow's final words seemed to be truly sincere, and yet the consequences were still unknown. Will he undergo a mental shutdown and die? Ren had no idea, and he certainly hoped that wouldn't be the case. But something still lingered on his mind... Emiko Hayashi. The power she showed after her awakening was extraordinary and wasn't like anything he had seen so far. The way she handled the gun wasn't normal for their age, and her amazing hand-to-hand combat skills weren't normal either. There was a secret behind that for sure.

But much to Ren's surprise, Emiko was absent that day since her seat behind him was empty, and so he concluded that she must've been still tired due to the aftermath of her awakening. Between Ren's thoughts and worries, the bell rang announcing the beginning of lunchtime at last. Ren quickly packed his stuff and headed towards the door to buy something from the school canteen, only to see Ryuji standing outside in the corridor with a worried expression on his face.

"Hey."

"What's wrong?"

"Have you seen Kamoshida?"

"Surprisingly, no."

"You really think he changed?"

"I hope so."

"Well, yeah..."

"Oh, perfect timing!" Ms. Kawakami approached the two, "Study hall will be held instead of PE today. I'm letting you know just in case you haven't heard. Mr. Kamoshida has taken the day off."

"He ain't here...?"

"Why? Something's wrong?" Ren asked.

"Don't tell anyone that you heard this from me... but we received word that Mr. Kamoshida is placing himself under suspension. It's such an important time before the tournament too... principal Kobayakawa went to talk to him about it, but he supposedly wasn't making any sense..."

"Wait, a suspension?!" Ryuji shouted the last word.

"Not so loud! The talks about your expulsions may be put on hold too... I don't know too much about it though.... anyway, I've relayed what's going on to you."

After that sentence, the brown-haired teacher left the two teenagers in surprise, shock, and disbelief. They weren't expecting that Kamoshida would be absent today and during that time they needed to know the most about what would happen with him. With that, their concerns increased even more, but their expulsions might be put on hold, so that will be a good thing at least.

"Looks like something happened..." Ryuji trailed.

"At least it sounds different from a mental shutdown."

"I guess all we can do is wait..."

Yes, wait... for the worst, or best? No one of them knew.

*******

**_\------The Next Day: Shujin's Gymnasium------_ **

Surprisingly the next day, the principal called the students to the gymnasium for an urgent morning assembly much to the annoyance of many students. The gym was crowded to its fullest bombarded with endless murmurs and chatters from the students. And there, between the crowd, stood Ann looking around her in worry and anticipation. She had rather mixed feelings about the reason regarding this assembly, and thus tension started building up inside her. While Ann's eyes were darting here and there, they laid upon Emiko who was also standing among the crowd with a blank expression on her face. She also noticed that students were stealing uncomfortable and disapproved glances at her before whispering among themselves again.

"What's with the sudden morning assembly...?"

"I bet it's about the girl that jumped the other day."

"They don't have to tell us not to commit suicide."

"There was that weird calling card too, so I guess the teachers are freaking out?"

".........." Ann stayed quiet.

"But man, I'm so scared of being in the same room with Hayashi-San."

"I know, right? She killed her own father so who knows what she might do?"

"I heard that she carries a gun with her everywhere. Maybe she's waiting for the right opportunity to shoot on us."

".........." The brown-haired tried her best to ignore such meaningless chatter.

"Let's begin this school-wide morning assembly." Principal Kobayakawa spoke on the microphone, "As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day. Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take time until she recovers. Everyone here has a bright future ahead. I implore that you rethink the importance of life and--"

Suddenly the door was bust open fully which caused Principal Kobayakawa to pause his typical clichéd speech. The students also jumped in surprise upon seeing the scene of Kamoshida slowly making his way inside the gym with an unreadable look on his face.

"...Ah!" Ann flinched.

"Mr. Kamoshida, what's the--"

"I... have been reborn. That is why I will confess everything to you all..." He walked to the stage.

"...Huh?" Ann widened her eyes in shock.

  
"I have repeatedly done things that were.... unbecoming of a teacher. Verbally abusing students... physically abusing my team, and... sexually harassing female students. I am the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!" Finally, he collapsed on his knees and started crying and wheezing by the time students were shocked upon what they just heard, "I thought of this school as my castle... there were even students that I sentenced to expulsion, simply because I didn't like them... I will, of course, rescind those... I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts... I am an arrogant, shallow... and shameful person. No, I'm worse than that! I will take responsibility and kill myself for it...!"

The students were even more shocked and started murmuring among each other even more and more than before. Shock rose on Emiko's face as a cold sweat rolled on her face. She had her own suspicions regarding Kamoshida and the volleyball team but was never able to prove any of them to be true, and hearing him confessing them by his own mouth was just... unexpected. The scene of the Palace and his Shadow appeared again in her mind as she thought more about it; the school as a castle, the beaten-up players... it was all finally starting to fall in place to her.

"Mr. Kamoshida! Please get off the stage for now!"

"Everyone return to your classes!" A teacher in a suit announced.

"I--" Kamoshida was about to speak.

"Don't run, you bastard! Shiho's still alive even after all the things you made her want to die! You have no right to run from this!"

"Ann..." Ryuji mumbled sadly who was also standing between the crowd.

"You're right... you're absolutely right... I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes... I did horrible things to Takamaki-San, as well. In return for giving Suzui-San a position on the team... I tried to force her into having relations."

"Asshole--" Ryuji clenched his fists.

"I'm... also the one who started the rumors regarding Hayashi-San and spread them on the internet. I had... forced Shinohara-San to tell me about it since... she witnessed what happened that night..."

"........!"

Emiko's eyes widened fully upon hearing the last confession while covering her mouth with her hand. She believed that it was Ann who started them under his pressure but knowing that it was her neighbor Mayu was something she never expected. Emiko felt as if she was running short of breath and her mind grew blurry while murmurs regarding her increased even more after the light was shone on this new fact.

"As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in. Someone, please call the police!"

"YOU SON OF A...!" Ryuji barked angrily, wanting to attack Kamoshida when Ren was holding him to stop.

"Calm down."

"Wow..." Even Morgana couldn't hide his shock.

"This morning's assembly is over! Return to your classes immediately!" The teacher in suit ordered.

"Isn't this just like what that calling card said...?"

"Does this mean the Phantom Thieves thing was for real?!"

"Was something done to Kamoshida?"

"C'mon, there's no way you could steal someone's heart!"

"But why else would he start saying things like he'll kill himself or turn himself in?"

"Maybe because it almost got him leaked? Don't they go easier on you if you turn yourself in?"

"I wonder what happened..."

"Who knows? But man, Kamoshida turned out to be one sick bastard."

"Return to your classrooms at once!" The teacher in the suit shouted again.

"The Phantom Thieves..." Konno mumbled to himself.

The assembly was over after that note especially since two teachers escorted Kamoshida out of the gym. Students were shocked and disbelieved now that Kamoshida's true colors were fully exposed--the teacher who they once adored so much turned out to be a sick bastard, molester, and abuser. They were returning to classrooms, but their chatter never ended along the way. After all, they have just found the new hot topic of the school. Hence, even the Phantom Thieves were shocked at this surprising turn of events. They never would've imagined it would turn out the way it did, but they were happy and glad nonetheless since Kamoshida was safe and sound from any mental shutdown, so that was a huge relief to them.

"His heart did change..." Ann trailed.

"Seems like it. But, was that really for the best? Yeah... it's gotta be for the best... but things're happenin' way too fast... especially now after knowing the truth behind Mikki's rumors..."

With that sentence, Mishima walked towards the group along with two female students, one of them was notably tall, and the other was dark-haired. The three of them had rather sad and remorseful expressions on their faces.

"Huh...? What the...?" Ryuji widened his eyes.

"Takamaki-San... I'm sorry!" Mishima bowed.

"Huh...?"

"We all knew... but we pretended we didn't."

"Takamaki-San, I had you all wrong... I'm sorry that I spread rumors about you!" A tall girl apologized.

"I didn't know at all... Kamoshida was forcefully pushing himself on you... it must've been so hard for you!" A black-haired student said.

"I'm sure there's a ton of people who want to apologize to you. We're so sorry...!"

"No, It's okay. The same goes for me too... besides, that's all in the past now."

"Hey, you there! Return to your classes at once!" The teacher in suit warned them.

"W-Well, see you later then..." The tall student said and left along with the black-haired and the teacher.

"I can't apologize enough for what I did to you. I swear that I'll make it up to you someday." Mishima bowed to Ren before leaving himself.

"Looks like Kamoshida wasn't the only one who had a change of heart." Ren spoke.

"Man, I'm glad for you, Ann. Looks like those weird rumors are gonna go away."

"My thing doesn't matter. We made Kamoshida apologize about Shiho... that's more than enough to me. And at least we now know the truth about Hayashi's rumors."

"You should hurry and tell her about it then."

"...Yeah." Ann nodded slowly.

Emiko wasn't standing so far away from the group and listened to the whole conversation. She knew about the rumors regarding Ann and thought that she spread the word about her killing her father to shift away from the spotlight from her, but now after knowing the truth... she didn't even know what to think anymore.

"Hayashi?" Mayu approached Emiko slowly looking visibly shaken up.

"Ah, Shinohara?"

"I-I'm sorry...! I didn't want any of this to happen, b-but... Mr. Kamoshida threatened to r-rape me if I didn't tell him what I saw that night... I'm really sorry!"

Mayu couldn't speak anymore as heavy tears began rolling down her rosy cheeks and loud sobs came out as well. Emiko was visibly taken back by Mayu's apology as confusion and hesitation aroused on her face. Her shaky hand tried reaching for Mayu while taking it back a few times but finally decided to embrace her neighbor and pull her close into a calming and soothing hug.

"I-It's fine, Shinohara... I'm not mad at you at all. I... kinda understand your situation, so please stop crying."

On the other hand, Ryuji and Ann were long gone out of the gym heading out and left Ren with Morgana behind them to witness what it seemed like to be Emiko's first sincere and genuine emotion she had shown to anyone. Ren thought of her as an emotionless and heartless human being, but seeing her in such a state made him second-guess everything he had ever thought about her.

She may have looked cruel and cold on the outside but on the inside, she was fragile and had a kind heart of her own. Her words managed to calm Mayu down who thanked Emiko with a big tearful smile on her face before walking away. Taking a deep breath, Ren made her way towards the brown-haired girl who was still trying to collect herself after everything that happened. He stopped his track exactly on her left and both of them were facing the opposite direction.

"Meet us at the rooftop after school."

After that whisper, Ren quickly walked away from her without even giving her the chance to reply or say anything in return. He left the gym as Emiko stood in her place with a skeptical look on her face and couldn't help but to wonder about the reason for Ren summoning her so secretly like that.

"Amamiya, you..."

*******

**_\------After School: Shujin's Rooftop------_ **

"I totally freaked out... he really did have a change of heart. And we were lucky his mind didn't get messed up either! This was an A+ job!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Does this mean that they won't have a mental shutdown even if their Palace disappears...? I see... so we need to persuade the Shadow without killing it, and then send it back to its real self. Our targets won't undergo a cognitive collapse if we do that." Morgana explained.

"So, we can get 'em to confess with no bad stuff? Hey! That works to me!"

"Do you have to be so loud?" Ann came along.

"Don't worry about it. So... how'd it go? With Suzui, I mean..."

"She's regained consciousness...!"

"For real?!"

"Those are fantastic news!" Ren grinned.

"It was only for a little bit, but I got to talk to her!" Ann collapsed on her knees, "I was able to tell her that Kamoshida admitted to what he did! Shiho, she... she told me she was sorry... looks like she found out that I was flirting with Kamoshida for her sake..." She stood up again, "And here I was, wanting to apologize to her."

"Kamoshida's at fault for all this." Morgana said firmly.

"I know... Shiho's mom is thinking of transferring her to another school after she recovers. The whole sexual harassment and attempted suicide... people will label her after that. Sounded like Shiho had the same idea too."

"It's gonna get lonely..."

"But, I think it's for the best... I'm sure it'll be hard if she stays here."

"She's alive. You can see her anytime." Ren remarked to Ann as she nodded.

"That aside, I was surprised you could hold yourself back against Kamoshida's Shadow." Ryuji told Ann.

"It wasn't like that... I just wanted Kamoshida to apologize himself."

"You're so kind, Lady Ann."

"No matter how much of shit bag he was, finishing him off woulda left a bad aftertaste, huh?"

"Huh? That's not it. I think revenge is better served if I make him repent. Realizing what he's done, he'll grovel for forgiveness for the rest of his life, you know? I just believe there are fates worse than death."

"But you know, there was one more thing I was wonderin' about that castle. Why was Kamoshida the only one who had that Metaverse thing?"

"It isn't necessarily limited to him. It's something anyone could have if their heart became warped from their desires." Morgana replied.

"Anyone..." Ann repeated.

"Wanna check it out?" Morgana asked.

"N-Not right now. We better lay low for a while. People are still gonna be talkin' about Kamoshida. Then again, it's totally impossible for someone to find out what we did at his Palace."

"Yeah, about that... weird rumors about you guys are already going around." Ann spoke.

"Rumors...?" Ren questioned.

"Stuff like, you got together and threatened Kamoshida with something close to visual violence..."

"The hell?!"

"People aren't going to easily believe that phantom thieves really exist. The calling card's being treated like it was a prank by someone who knew what Kamoshida was doing."

"Makes sense..." Ren trailed.

"We're the ones who did it, and I still don't completely believe it myself." Ryuji spoke.

"Let's wait for things to settle down for the time being." Ann suggested.

"Anyways, let's check how much this medal can be sold for. It'd be better if we pawned it off ASAP." Ryuji pulled his phone out "Got a hit!"

"What does it say?" Ren asked.

"...Wait, thirty thousand yen?! That's all a gold medal's worth?!" Ryuji gasped.

"Remember that time in middle school? I lent you some money." Ann sang.

"There's no way I borrowed thirty thousand yen from you!"

"Wouldn't it be around that much with compounded interest?"

"Interest my ass!"

"I'm not saying that I'm taking all of it. I mean, it's your fault for not paying me back all these years! It's just common sense!"

"Dammit..."

"I agree on laying low and keeping an eye on the situation. However, you dragged me into this. It would be nonsense not to celebrate a successful mission." Morgana pointed out.

"I suppose we can blow this dirty money on something fun." Ryuji grinned excitedly.

"Discussions among phantom thieves are to take place over luxurious food. How about it?" Morgana suggested.

"Hey, wait--" Ann cut her sentence, "...Nah, I guess it's fine. There's somewhere I want to go then."

"Where's that?" Ryuji asked.

"It's a place Shiho and I have been wanting to go for a while."

"I owe money, so I can't complain... you good with that, Ren?"

"Fine by me."

"It's decided then!"

"I'll leave it to your discretion as well, Lady Ann."

"I'll call and check the prices later then."

"When should we go? Wanna do it soon, like tomorrow?"

"Why don't we go on the lady day of the holidays? It'll help energize us when school life starts up again the day after."

"Then... the 5th, on Children's Day."

"So, who's going to sell this?" Ann pointed at the medal.

"Leave that to us. We know a store that'll buy anything. Don't we, Ren?"

"Okay, I'll leave that to you guys."

"Leave what to who?"

That sudden feminine voice caused all the group to look in horror at the roof's door which was already open with Emiko making her way in.

"Dude, how the hell we didn't hear her come in...?"

"It's because we were so busy talking, Ryuji."

"Wh-What is she doin' here...?!" Ryuji raised his voice.

"I asked her to come." Ren blunted.

"Why?"

"I think Hayashi-San deserves to know what's happening here."

"Good call, Amamiya. Now, can anyone explain what the hell is going on?"

"Emiko, was it? We know that you have a lot of questions, and we're willing to answer all of them." Morgana spoke.

"Your name was Morgana, right? I still can't believe that I'm talking with a cat..."

"I am NOT a cat!"

"Uh, you clearly are one."

"I said I'm NOT--"

"Sooo, what do you want to know, Hayashi?" Ann sang.

"First off, what was that world?"

"The Metaverse. And the castle you saw was Kamoshida's Palace; a manifestation of **'distortion,'** strong negative and corrupt thoughts that warp the perceptions of people into a hazard for themselves and others. It's like how Kamoshida viewed the school, and that view took a touchable form in that world." Morgana explained.

"And that monster?"

"That was Kamoshida's Shadow; the true self that is suppressed--a side of one's personality they don't want to see hidden deep in the depths of their souls. Shadows are malevolent manifestations of one's inner thoughts and are born from humans, and carry with them human emotions, which are mostly negative."

"The Persona, what is it?"

"It's your will of rebellion, your alter ego that masks your heart. It's a manifestation of your inner thoughts, but tamed and trained, unlike Shadows."

"I remember you all mentioned something about a **'Treasure'** after we escaped the castle, right?"

"Yes, it's the core of the person's distortion. It appears as a formless cloud of rainbow energy, as the Palace's host is not focused on how they could lose it. However, if the host feels **'threatened'** of having a secret exposed, their Treasure takes on a physical form, usually something related to the source of their ego. Which is why we sent the calling card, to make the Treasure turn into a touchable form. And by stealing the Treasure..."

"...The source of the host's distorted desire vanishes which causes the destruction of the Palace, and them... confessing their crimes."

"Precisely."

"Holy shit, she understood it all?!" Ryuji widened his eyes.

"Oh please, any idiot would've caught that, except for you."

"HEY--"

"I like her already. I don't understand why you hate her so much, Ren." Morgana giggled.

"Huh?! No, wait. I don't--"

"Let him think whatever he wants of me because I honestly don't care."

"........." Ren couldn't say a word.

"We answered all of your questions, Emiko, and now it's your turn to answer ours. That'd be just fair, right?" Morgana asked.

"I guess."

"The question that I want to ask you the most is: How did you learn how to use a gun so skillfully? And your combat skills, where did you learn how to fight like that?"

"...Can you ask me anything else but that?"

"I can see that you're uncomfortable with talking about that, so I guess that's a sensitive subject to you. All right, the next question is..."

"How did you enter the Metaverse?" Ren interfered.

"Yeah, she wasn't around when we activated the nav. I made sure no one was within the radius." Ann added.

"Remember the day you posted the calling card? Back then, I got a notification on my phone and when I checked it out, I saw this weird app that looks like an eyeball."

"The Metaverse Navigator."

"Right, it was a navigator app, Amamiya. When I opened it, it asked me to enter a name, location, and distortion. There was also a history log that said **'Kamoshida,' 'Shujin Academy,'** and **'Castle.'** And when I entered those words, I found myself in front of that castle and guards spotted me dragging me inside."

"The app just appeared on your phone out of nowhere?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Weird... it appeared on my phone after I awakened my Persona. Same goes with Ryuji too."

"Well, that sure does explain how you ended up there." Morgana remarked.

"Is this everything you wanted to know?"

"For the time being, yes."

"Wait, how about we invite Hayashi to our celebration party?" Ann suggested.

"What?!" Ren and Ryuji shouted at the same time.

"Party?"

"Yeah, Amamiya-Kun's going to sell the medal we got and celebrate our victory. You should come too."

"B-But, Ann. This was supposed to be OUR party."

"Hayashi has helped us a lot in defeating Kamoshida whether you like it or not, so she deserves to celebrate with us."

"I agree with Lady Ann. Our situation was hopeless had she not helped us. She was a key factor in our victory."

"So, what do you think, Hayashi?"

"It's not like I have anything better to do, so I guess I'll go..."

"Excellent! We'll go on Children's Day. I'll tell you more once we agree on the details."

"Suit yourself."

"Welp, let's go home now. See ya guys later."

Ryuji waved before walking out from the roof along with Ann who was chatting on the way out. Before leaving, Emiko stopped her tracks and gave Ren a quick blank stare before leaving the area on her own. The dark-haired adjusted the position of his bag after Morgana jumped into it to make his way home.

*******

**_\------Evening: Leblanc------_ **

Feeling satisfied with today's outcome, Ren returned home in such a good mood. It was a glorious and joyful day indeed seeing how their efforts paid and Kamoshida has been taken to custody after confessing all of his sins and nor undergoing a mental shutdown. Ren was more than glad knowing that the nightmare was finally over and the volleyball team would finally be free from his tyranny, and the bonus was that Shiho Suzui awoke from her coma at last which lifted a heavy burden from his shoulder. And the better thing was that a party was waiting for them...!

Then again, Emiko Hayashi would be in it. Thanks a lot, Ann and Morgana.

As soon as Ren walked inside the shop, Sojiro asked him to wash the dishes for him before closing up. Unable to refuse, Ren found himself forced to help him out of gratitude for having him in; he owned it for him, after all, and even agreed to help out. He walked to the kitchen in the back and started washing the pile of dirty plates with Morgana standing close watching his movements and while working, his phone buzzed from IMs from his new friends which caused him to dry his hands so he can respond quickly.

_Ann: Is that gold medal real? When did it get inside his Palace...?_

"No, that one is a fake. It's just a by-product of his cognition. The real medal should still be in his possession." Morgana explained.

_Ren: I think this one's a fake._

_Ryuji: What...? You're tellin' me Kamoshida's still got the medal?_

_Ann: Who cares? What matters is that we changed his heart._

_Ann: And anyway, if we had taken the real thing, that'd be stealing!_

_Ann: I don't think he'll be proud of that medal anymore regardless._

_Ren: You have a point..._

_Ryuji: You let go of stuff pretty easy, huh? Wanna forget about my debt?_

_Ann: That's different. Five hundred yen is a lot of money for a middle schooler, you know._

_Ann: Do you even still have that dolphin anyway?_

_Ren: Dolphin...? What are you talking about?_

_Ryuji: Stop diggin' that up!_

_Ann: Back in middle school, we went on a field trip to the aquarium._

_Ann: But Ryuji had to spend all his money on a souvenir, so I lent him some for the train fare._

_Ryuji: I said I was sorry... that was for my mom._

_Ann: Well, I guess I can call it even after all we've been through._

_Ryuji: ...Thank you._

_Ren: You're so kind, Takamaki-San._

_Ryuji: Anyways, we don't gotta worry about selling that medal off if it's a fake!_

_Ryuji: End of story!_

"Kamoshida will never be proud of that once-in-a-lifetime gold medal ever again. Depending on how you look at it, that punishment might be even worse than death for him." Morgana pointed out.

"You're right. But I'm still a little worried.."

"Heh, sorry I kinda pressured you into doing this." Sojiro chuckled.

"And now to our next topic... fall from Grace: The story of a dishonored Olympic medalist. Just recently, a high school coach admitted to his school that he had been perpetually abusing students. Given his prior Olympic achievements, this has caused quite a stir. What caused this habitual offender to suddenly confess these heinous crimes to his entire school? The police are hoping that the upcoming interrogations will bring light to this question." The newsman said.

"Wait, that's...!" Ren widened his eyes while mumbling quietly.

"Hmm? Isn't this...?" Sojiro looked at the TV with a shocked look on his face.

"My friends would come back from practice with bruises all the time... it was scary, but I'm relieved that the abuse is finally going to end now."

"He would touch me and stuff all the time... I'm glad that I don't have to deal with that sexual harassment anymore..."

"There were always rumors, sure. Not many people believed them though. Like... I'm totally shocked they were actually true. At least now I can go to school without worrying."

"I knew it. This is your school, isn't it?"

"Seems like it."

"...Things might be getting turbulent at school, but you need to just keep your head down, all right? ...More importantly, keep those hands moving. I've got some more stuff I need you to do."

"Y-Yes, understood!" Ren replied nervously while continuing his work.

After he finished washing all the dishes, he exchanged good nights with Sojiro who locked the shop behind him and left home. Ren rushed up to the attic along with Morgana wanting nothing but to sleep deeply and peacefully at that one particular moment. He threw his body on his bed desiring nothing but to shut his eyelids and drift himself to the realm of dreamland.

"I'm beat..."

"The chief really worked us hard..."

And just when he wanted to sleep so badly, those two just _had_ to message him again.

_Ryuji: Did you see?! It was on the news!_

_Ryuji: No way the school's gonna be able to play dumb after that._

_Ren: I hope so._

_Ann: I saw it too._

_Ann: Shiho's name didn't come up, right?_

_Ren: No, they didn't. I guess the school wanted to keep this a private issue._

_Ryuji: Not that I saw. I'd bet they wanted to keep that part quiet._

_Ann: I'm so glad..._

_Ryuji: It's finally over then..._

_Ryuji: All we gotta do now is eat some tasty shit and put all this crap behind us._

_Ryuji: I'm totally looking forward to this celebration party._

_Ann: I'll try not to let you guys down!_

"All right, we need to sell the gold medal tomorrow. Even if the chief wants your help, make sure to turn him down, okay?"

"Believe me, I'd be more than glad to."

Shortly after that, Ren changed into his pajamas, turned off the lights, and laid on his bed with great satisfaction about today's outcome and what's going to happen soon. It didn't take much until his eyelids were fully shut as he drifted into the realm of dreams, peace, and quietness. His chest moved upward and downward in sync with his calm breathing, and yet he was also smiling calmly in his sleep. Soon enough after both Morgana and Ren were asleep, trails of sparkling light appeared in the air as a shiny blue butterfly showed up roaming around Ren's face, and its calm and soothing voice pleaded desperately.

**_"Trickster, please if you can hear my voice, I'm begging you."_ **

**_"Emiko Hayashi, she needs help. Her heart has sunk in the depths of the abyss of darkness."_ **

**_"When she awakened her powers, she also awakened something very dark and dangerous inside her that's waiting to come out."_ **

**_"You're the only one who can save her from herself."_ **

**_"Please, save her...!"_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooohooo, I finally finished this chapter!
> 
> Oh, Mikki's actually a softie on the inside? Interesting~ *Imitates Jay's voice*
> 
> Hopefully, you guys enjoyed reading this chapter, and please wait for the next one soon!
> 
> Published on: Mon/Dec 21/2020


	14. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celebrating the triumph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't have anything to say besides to sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter~

**_\------Time Skip: The Next Day------_ **

Today was finally the day for Ren to pawn the medal he and his friends got from Kamoshida's Palace. 30,000 yen and no less than that, so they can use the money to celebrate their successful mission. After waking up, Ren made his way down the stairs quickly with Morgana inside his bag only to see Sojiro first thing in the morning throwing him a stern look on his face.

Oh, no...

"Make sure to do the dishes."

"When I get back. I really can't right now..."

"Just do it. Don't get cocky with me."

With that, the door's bell jingled causing Ren and Sojiro to pause their little quarrel to see a woman walking in who had long gray hair parted on her right side and brown eyes. She wore a black business suit with a black turtleneck. Her blazer had cuffs and the lower part had clamshell-like designs. She also wore a necklace of a section sign (§), earnings, and a few dark hair clips above her right ear. She had violet fingernails and wore black high heels.

"Welcome." Sojiro greeted the woman.

"Am I interrupting something?" The woman in a business suit asked.

"Not at all."

"Huh... so this is your regular hangout, Sae-San? This place is more than I imagined it to be. The atmosphere is wonderful. No wonder why you recommended it so strongly to me."

Following the woman, a young boy entered the café who had shaggy, chin-length brown hair with bangs and reddish-brown eyes. He wore a tan peacoat with black buttons, a striped black and white tie, black pants, and black gloves.

His eyes darted left and right in both curiosity and excitement.

"I wouldn't call her a regular. So what brings you here?" Sojiro frowned.

"No special reason. I like your coffee." The woman referred to as **'Sae'** replied.

"Huh? Have we met before?" The young detective looked at Ren.

"No, I don't think so."

"I'm Goro Akechi."

"Ren Amamiya."

"I like this place. It's got a good vibe."

 _"Akechi..."_ Morgana thought to himself hiding in Ren's bag.

"When you think about it, a detective is an ambiguous, uncertain thing. Don't you agree? Taken alone, there's no guarantee a detective will be valuable to society. A couple of things are needed to be a detective. A tough case which only he can solve, and the existence of a worthy rival to make such a case." Akechi told Ren who seemed quite deep with the topic.

"Sorry. Am I boring you?"

"Not at all."

"The cause of the runaway-train incident in the subway the other day still has not been found. Police are hurrying to solve the matter as it may relate to the rise in psychotic breakdown incidents." The newsman spoke on TV.

"Oh, is that the thing everyone's been talking about?" Sojiro asked.

"Doesn't it make you curious? People who were living normal lives suddenly went mad or deranged out of the blue... not to mention that it's happening one after another... could they really be coincidental?" Sae narrowed her eyes.

"Hmm... leaving that aside... what'll you have?"

"...I'll have the house blend please."

"And you, detective?"

"I'll have whatever you recommend." Akechi sat along with Sae at the counter.

"Are you a part-timer? I'm surprised that this place can afford one." Sae looked at Ren.

"Um, yeah..."

"Uh, that's exactly the case..." Sojiro blunted nervously.

"Are you a high school student? Where do you attend?"

"I go to Shujin Academy."

"Oh...? Someone I know goes there as well."

And with that sentence, Akechi averted his eyes away from the others so they won't see his facial expression. His shaggy brown bangs shadowed his face to the level of his nose as if he seemed to _**know who was that person Sae was referring to.**_

"I've heard that things are rough right now. A teacher named Kamoshida confessed his crimes like he was a completely different person, supposedly. And it happened 'all of a sudden' one day... can a person's mental state change so easily?"

"...Huh." Sojiro trailed.

"No one can know for sure." Ren added.

"Maybe..."

"No, I don't think that's the case, Sae-San. A person's mentality cannot just change so simply like that. I feel like there's a reason behind what happened with that teacher."

"........." Ren narrowed his eyes at that statement.

"Is my drink ready yet?" Sae asked Sojiro.

"...Coming right up." Sojiro smiled slyly before heading to the kitchen and Ren leaving the café.

"All right, today's the day we turn in that medal for cash. You know some place that'll buy it off you, right?" Morgana asked on the way out.

Ren didn't answer as he stole a glance at Akechi who was having a friendly conversation with Sae. Indeed it was obvious that Akechi had a quick and sharp mind due to his work as a detective, and he already suspected that something not normal happened to Kamoshida.

Ren knew that moment that he had to be very careful around him.

Goro Akechi...

*******

**_\------Untouchable------_ **

"Huh? You again? What do you want?"

"I want you to buy this for me ."

"Huh? A golden medal? Why do you have this? We don't buy any fake or stolen goods here, kid."

"It's not stolen at all."

"...Hold on a sec. Lemme see it."

The surly manager took the medal from the boy and had a really close look at the medal examining it closely and thoroughly until his eyes widened in realization.

"I'm just... not gonna ask where you got this. How's 30,000 yen sound for it though?"

"Works for me perfectly."

"Hmph. 30,000 it is then." The surly manager handed Ren the money, then he looked at the clock "It's almost time..."

"I don't understand. Time for what?"

"Here, take this with you. It's a thanks for sellin' me that medal." The surly manager handed Ren a paper bag.

Ren tried to steal a quick sneak peek inside it only to be stopped by the surly manager saying, "But, uh... best not to open it. Just bring it with you next time you come back here."

"What's inside...? I'm so curious to know."

"It's all fine, trust me..." Then the surly manager's expression turned to a pissed one, "...They're here."

With that said, two men entered the shop dressed in black. Black suits, ties, shades, and so on. They seemed dead serious as they were folding their arms standing in front of the manager, so Ren knew that there was no room for joking.

"Munehisa Iwai, yes? There are some manners we'd like to discuss with you today." A stern man said.

"...Go, kid." Iwai whispered quietly.

"Understood." Ren went to leave the shop but decided to stop near the door first to listen to the conversation.

"Do you know why we're here?"

"I dunno, lookin' for evidence? You tell me, Detective-San."

"Watch your attitude!" A vulgar detective slapped the counter hard, making Ren flinch.

"Well, you guys gonna search me? Go on, do what you gotta do."

"...What was that?"

"An upstandin' citizen's supposed to cooperate with the cops, right?"

"Hey, you sure that lead was legitimate?" The stern man asked.

"I could've sworn it was..." The vulgar detective trailed.

"Can you two hurry it up? I got a business to run here."

"You bastard..." The vulgar detective groaned then looked at Ren, "...Hey, you! What's in the bag, huh? Show me!"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes, you! Are you deaf or something?"

"...The kid's just a regular ol' customer. You can check the tapes if that'll convince you. They'll show everything that's gone done here today."

 _"I don't want to be here when the detectives see the footage of me with that gold medal... I should leave..."_ Ren thought.

"I won't let you get away that easy! Show us what's in the bag!"

"Well... uhh... I really should actually be going by now, Mr. Detective."

"........" Iwai sighed deeply.

"Hmph. All this is starting to feel a little too fishy..."

"Hey, you're talking to a kid, remember? Besides, he's not the one we're here to see." The stern man reminded.

"Urgh..."

"That's right, Detective-San. Maybe next time try not harassin' my customers, see how that goes."

"Grrr..."

"Safe trip home, kid."

"R-Right!" Ren flinched then left the shop hurriedly before the detective could change his mind.

With heart beating at a crazy pace, Ren was almost running out from the shop. Seeing him in the footage wouldn't be a good thing for his probation and might cause him a lot of trouble, so he was grateful the detectives changed their minds. First was Goro Akechi, and now those? When he was out, he took a deep breath and sighed a big sigh leaning his back on a nearby wall.

"Phew... that was a close call..."

"What were those detectives doing there...?" Morgana trailed worriedly.

"I have no clue."

"But more importantly, aren't you curious about what's in the bag?"

"I am... maybe a little..."

"Well?"

With a curious and hesitant look on his face, Ren finally decided to give up and open the paper bag. He really wanted to know what was inside, especially that Iwai sounded nervous when he gave it to him, but he unexpectedly found a gun inside much to his surprise and shock.

"What the...?! Is this a real gun?"

"Wait... I think it's just a model."

"It looks so real."

"It's incredible though! Miles ahead of the one Ryuji had. There's something weird about that place... hey Ren, I just had a great idea... we should totally buy this gun from him later! I mean, It's perfect. Something this real-looking would work wonders in the Metaverse... anyway, he told you to bring it back the next time you came, right? You should try striking a deal with him when you go to return it!"

"I see... all right, we'll do it next time we're here."

******

**_\------Evening: Leblanc's Attic------_ **

Today wasn't that great for Ren since it was filled with detectives here and there, but at least he was able to sell the medal and get the entire sum in cash. With the money issue aside, the party was waiting on the horizon which was tomorrow! The thought thrilled Ren and made him happy very much, but he was noticeably tired as he sighed deeply while placing his bag down on the table.

"What a day..."

**_Pi_ **

**_Pi_ **

**_Pi_ **

"Ann?" Ren looked at the caller's ID.

"Hello...?"

"Oh... hello. It's me. I saw the news. You know, about Kamoshida. It's getting a lot of coverage..."

"Serves him right."

"I'm still not sure about that... the reaction's been bigger than what I was expecting... I guess I'm just... surprised. I don't think we did anything wrong though. I wonder if we helped those people speak up about it..."

"I'm sure we did."

"That's pretty amazing, huh? I didn't think we'd actually be able to do it! And yet look at us now! This calls for a celebration! Let's meet in front of Shibuya Station at noon tomorrow. Don't be late!"

"Don't worry, I won't."

"Oh, and did you pawn off that medal? You didn't forget, right?"

"I'll tell you about it later."

"Huh? Why...? Oh, I get it! It's cause you sold it for a lot more than we were expecting, isn't it?!" Ann exclaimed happily.

"That's..." Ren sweatdropped.

"You should be really excited about the place I chose by the way. I'm sure everyone gonna love it! Well, see you guys tomorrow!"

"Bye." Ren hung up before sitting on the bed.

"Ah, a restaurant of Lady Ann's choosing. Finally, a decent meal! Hey, what do you think we're gonna be eating?"

"Maybe sushi?"

"O-Ooooooh! Tuna, sea urchin, and maybe even... salmon roe! In any case, I'm surely looking forward to it! Mwehehehe!"

*******

**_\------Next Day: Wilton Hotel------_ **

It was finally the day of the party after such a wait! The three teenagers were sitting in fancy seats having all kinds of food, desserts, and drinks placed on the table in front of them. Emiko was with them too who maintained a blank expression on her face on the total opposite of the others as if she never wanted to be here in the first place. Besides, there was no good reason behind her emotionlessness since she sat in a very fancy hotel, surrounded by luxurious food in an open buffet that normal people dream to eat. Her bored eyes blankly darted left and right watching people passing by there and there while speaking among themselves, but Ryuji brought her attention by slightly elbowing her.

"Are you ready? Three, two, one..." Ryuji counted down.

"Cheers!" The three teenagers exclaimed as they hit their glasses together.

"...Cheers." Emiko lifted her glass in boredom.

"So good...!" Ryuji exclaimed while his mouth was stuffed with food.

"Bliss!" Ann exclaimed while stuffing a mouthful bite of cake in her mouth.

The brown-haired stared skeptically at the piece of chocolate mousse cake that was on her fork as if examining it to see whether it was a poison that was going to kill her or not. With a shrug, she placed it in her mouth before widening her eyes almost instantly.

_"Oh..."_

_"My..."_

_"God!"_

_"The taste of the chocolate...! It's so dark and rich! The perfect combination of bitterness and sweetness! Aaaah, it's melting in my mouth...!"_

"What do you think, Hayashi-San?" Ren asked while feeding Morgana.

"Eh, it's all right."

"No wonder Lady Ann chose this place...!"

"Of course it's good. This is a famous hotel, after all even among part-timers."

"Part-timers?" Ren questioned.

"Huh? Didn't I tell you? I do modeling work for magazines. Only once in a while, though."

"That's our Lady Ann! No wonder this restaurant has a celebrity atmosphere."

"Knock it off. I'm not a celebrity. I just wanted to try coming here once."

"7,500 a piece, for a total of 30,000. Well, if they overlook the fact we've got a cat..." Ryuji was talking to himself.

"I'm NOT a cat!"

"I guess blowing it all at once will keep us out of trouble." Ryuji continued after pushing the cat's face away from him.

"To think Kamoshida's Treasure would be..." Ren trailed.

"To Kamoshida, that gold medal was worth as much as a crown. That could be why." Morgana explained.

"You mean his past glory? So he was desperately clinging to it. Well, there wasn't any sense in us keeping it. Since it was basically the embodiment of his desires, right?" Ryuji wondered.

"Yeah." Ann agreed while looking down, "It would've been weird to keep it."

"Getting rid of it like this was the only choice." Ryuji added.

"Yeah. Thanks to that, we're able to celebrate like this." Morgana agreed.

"........." Ren was quiet.

"Hey, what's wrong, Ren? Do you feel guilty?" Morgana asked the boy.

"Well, maybe a little."

"That medal was a fake. It was created from Kamoshida's desires. Well, we changed his heart and set him on the right path, so we deserve a little bonus!"

"That makes sense."

"Oh yeah, I heard that police are coming to interview some people at school."

"I heard that too." Ren added, "That's really troublesome."

"Totally." Morgana agreed.

"Our names are gonna come up for sure. Anyways, people're spendin' all sorts of rumors about us and Kamoshida... but we got 'em pumped up! I kept hearin' stuff like, **'The Phantom Thieves really stole his heart!'** I think most people don't believe it, but some of them actually seem grateful. Look at this." Ryuji said as pulling out his phone.

"The Phantom Aficionado Website...?" Ann read.

"What kind of names is this?" Emiko placed another bite in her mouth.

" **'Well done, Phantom Thieves'**... **'Now I can keep going too'**... **'Thank you for giving us hope'**..." Ann read the message.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Ryuji grinned.

"I was just desperate to deal with my own problems, but seeing people saying all this feels... strange."

"Yeah..." Ryuji trailed happily.

 _"Pathetic. All of you."_ Emiko thought in disgust to herself.

_"You don't know anything."_

_"Nothing."_

"Hey... what do we do now?" Ryuji asked.

"You planning on eating?" Ren asked.

"Well, of course, I'm gonna eat, but..." Ryuji got abruptly interrupted by Ann.

"This place has a time limit!" Ann gasped loudly while standing up.

"Oh crap, we only got an hour to eat!" Ryuji freaked out, standing up himself too.

"Just fifty minutes left!"

"I'm not gonna finish all the beef dishes at this pace!"

"I need to eat my way through the entire dessert menu...!" Ann walked away.

"Look after our stuff! We'll snag something for you guys too, don't worry." Ryuji said before leaving as well.

Ren tried moving his arm to tell Ryuji something, but he already was gone which caused him to sweatdrop. With a deep sigh, he adjusted his sitting position before shifting his gaze at Emiko who was looking at people passing by them and taking sips of her juice every now and then. She never even bothered herself to exchange eye contact with him or Morgana which caused a heavy and utter silence to grow in the atmosphere between them. Ren started feeling rather uncomfortable from such silence and knew that he had to start a conversation with her **_somehow_** , but the moment he opened his mouth to say something...

"Don't. Even. Think about it."

Now that was harsh.

It caused Ren to sweatdrop again heavily while having a shocked expression on his face. She never even looked at him, so how did she notice that he was going to talk to her? And even Morgana was no less shocked by her. That caused Ren to grunt in annoyance while readjusting himself again on the couch as Ann and Ryuji came back after a short while with a shit ton of food.

"Aw man, it's melting in my mouth!" Ryuji said as he was literally melting.

"Seriously? Only meat?" Morgana asked Ryuji.

"Now, where should I start?" Ann ate her cake.

"And she's all about the cake..."

"So happy..."

"Hey, Calories." Ryuji grinned jokingly at Ann.

"Shuddup! How much do you think one of these costs?! I'll never get the chance to do this again!"

"Sigh... seriously." Emiko sighed in annoyance.

"Mmm, the Wilton Hotel cake buffet... I'd heard rumors, but I never thought it'd be so amazing!" Ann smiled happily.

"And... where's our share?" Morgana asked.

"I didn't really know what you'd want.. so I just grabbed you some beans." Ryuji replied.

"B-Beans?"

"There were some pretty bizarre things there too, so we got you a variety of those. Fried bananas, preserved eggs, and... some kind of beans." Ann added.

"M-More beans...?"

"We put so much on the plate that it got all mixed up, but it should probably still taste good."

"This is just plain grotesque... let's go, Ren. These three just don't know what fine dining means! We'll show them!"

"All right."

"You guys watch our things while we're gone! Wait patiently for our return!"

"Ahhh, It's like a meaty explosion in my mouth....!" Ryuji was enjoying his food way too much.

"Ooh, that part's cream cheese!"

"They're not even listening..." Morgana sighed hopelessly.

Heading towards the buffet tables, Ren started selecting food according to Morgana's recommendations from rice and vegetables to fish and sweets. While choosing their food, they heard people's gossip about the Phantom Thieves, and of course, most of them were baseless accusations much to Ren's anticipation. When their job was done, they returned to the rest with a big plate filled with different kinds of food to its fullest that it almost dropped down from the plate.

"...Ooh, you brought a ton back. Whaddya think about comin' up against such ritzy food?"

"We're happy nonetheless." Ren replied.

"It's nice hearin' that from you two. Just don't get too excited, got it?"

"You're the last person I want to give advice about that, Ryuji." Morgana remarked.

"Don't you think you're eatin' too much, Mona?"

"There's no knowing when we'll get to come here again."

"Sure, but you guys brought back loads of food... it'd be a shame to let it all go to waste. Why don't you help out, Ryuji?" Ann suggested.

"We should both help."

"Oh me? I'm wayyyy too stuffed! I couldn't possibly help!"

"Yeah... stuffin' your face with cake..." Ryuji trailed "And you, Mikki?"

"If I were you, I wouldn't do that." Emiko closed her eyes while eating a bite of her cake.

"Whatever. Ren, Morgana! Let's deal with this ourselves!"

With bumped up spirits, the two boys along with Morgana started eating the massive amount of food that was placed on the table in front of them as they've never eaten anything in their lives before. But it seemed like no matter how much they ate, the quantity of the food stayed the same as they brought it to the table. It was such an awkward and embarrassing situation that caused the two teenagers, plus Morgana, to sweatdrop heavily.

"There's still more...?" Morgana groaned.

"I told you it's a bad idea." Emiko blunted monotonically.

"Don't give up! Let's keep at it!" Ryuji cheered his friends up.

"Easy for you to say..." Ren trailed.

This time with much less enthusiasm, the three continued eating whatever was left of food gagging several times and fighting the undying urge to vomit. When they finally finished everything, they were extremely full to beyond the limit, barely able to sit down straight and talk.

"W-We did it..." Morgana panted.

"Y-Yeah.... this is a victory... for all of us..." Ryuji was also no less tired.

"Is this some sort of a game to you?" Ren held his stomach.

"N-Not exactly..."

"Good job, you guys. How about one last dish to cleanse your palates? I recommend the seasonal tart! The grapefruit has both alluring sweetness and a tangy sourness!" Ann exclaimed.

"Stop... I don't wanna hear about sour stuff... this isn't good... I gotta go to the bathroom..."

"Urgh, my stomach...!" Ren whined.

"M-Me too... please carry me gently..." Morgana said.

At that moment, a wealthy married couple passed by the table where the thieves were sitting and gazed at them. The woman began whispering to her husband.

"My, look at that table..."

"They must not normally have the opportunity to eat such exquisite food."

"I can only imagine what their parents must be like."

"What was that...?" Ryuji shouted at the couple, which caused them to walk away.

"...Urp! We don't got time for that... c'mon, let's go..." Ryuji quickly ran away along with Ren carrying Morgana.

"Boys... they never listen." Emiko held the bridge of her nose causing Ann to sweatdrop at her sentence.

*******

The group ran as fast as they could towards the elevator and went on an upper floor while holding their ached stomach trying their best not to throw up on people or on the floor. Not wasting any more time, they dashed to the bathrooms and threw up everything they've ever eaten in the toilets. They stayed inside for a good while before walking out to the hallway again still feeling a slight pain piercing through their bodies.

"Ughh, I'm stuffed..." Morgana whined.

"My stomach still hurts me..." Ren winced in pain.

"I totally panicked when I saw the **'Closed for Cleaning'** sign at the bathrooms..." Ryuji said.

"You were talking big about eating until you puked, but really did puke... are you some kind of moron?" Morgana scolded.

"Hey, same goes for you!"

"Takamaki-San and Hayashi are waiting. Let's get back."

"What floor was that restaurant on...?"

"We came up to get here, so it has to be on a lower floor, right?" Morgana questioned.

Ryuji then pressed the elevator's button calling it up to their floor and stood still waiting by tapping his foot on the floor. Suddenly, the people around them seemed to be surprised and stood back as other people pushed Ren and Ryuji out of the way.

"......! What the--" Ryuji widened his eyes.

"There's still no update on the case?" A distinguished man asked who was bald and had a small black goatee and wore a business suit and a pair of orange-tinted square glasses.

"N-Not yet... excuse me, but why are you so involved? It's not something you should be concerned with..." A haughty subordinate said.

"I don't care about your opinion, you incomplete buffoon! When I say pick up the pace, you do it!"

"Hey, you're cuttin' in line!"

"...What do you want?" The haughty subordinate asked angrily.

".........." Ren stayed quiet, not saying a thing.

"We're in a hurry." The haughty subordinate said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. So you can butt in front of other people if you're in a hurry?"

"It seems the customer base has changed since I was here last. Have they started a day care?" The distinguished man asked.

"What?"

"Sir, we don't have time for this." The haughty subordinate said.

"I know."

The elevator's door opened and Ryuji tried to force himself in, only to be pushed aside by the haughty man. Ryuji was caught off guard tripping and almost fell backward on his back had Ren not quickly acted and supported him to prevent him from falling while glaring at the two men angrily.

"Don't bother with them!" The distinguished man ordered.

 _"That voice...!"_ Ren thought as looking extremely shocked.

"The hell was with that bossy guy?"

"Shouldn't we head back down?" Morgana asked.

"Yeah, but..." Ryuji growled while pressing the button again, "That dick really pissed me off. He wasn't even hidin' the fact that he looks down on everyone!"

"Don't lose your temper over this."

"I just can't forgive shitty adults like that...!"

_"That man's voice..."_

The image of that drunk man who he tried saving the woman from appearing in his head.

_"It sounded almost like the one from back then..."_

"...What's wrong, Renren?"

"Just a bit lightheaded... don't worry."

"You not feelin' good?"

"He almost never eats well, after all... plus I'm always stuck eating canned cat food..." Morgana complained.

"Ugh, that **'sir'** bullshit makes me sick...! ...Dammit!"

That was when the elevator's door opened as the two teenagers walked inside with Ren behind since his mind was preoccupied with the flashback rewinding in his mind over and over. He held his aching head as a cold sweat rolled down making its way down his face. His voice, tone, it all triggered his memories somehow.

Just what it could possibly mean?

*******

Back to the girls in the buffet, Ann excused Emiko to go away and bring to herself and possibly to the brown-haired one final piece of cake. Reaching the desserts section, Ann was completely unable to make a decision since there were uncountable choices to choose from, a really hard pick-and-choose. She stood in her places examining all the possible options before finally making her decision.

"All right! Now I've got everything--" Ann was grabbing a piece of puffing.

"I was furious and told my husband--" A woman was walking when she hit Ann and dropped her plate over her fancy dress, thus staining it.

"Hey! This was expensive!"

"You need to be more careful" Her friend scolded Ann.

"Are you all right?" A waiter rushed over to the woman.

"This girl just pushed me!" The woman shouted.

"Who raised her to be like this?" Her friend asked.

"Liar! You bumped into me!" Ann protested.

"Why's she here? A girl like that doesn't belong." People started gossiping.

"Doesn't she have a chaperone? The child came alone?"

"I'm sure she's been spoiled rotten by her parents."

"Children today..."

At that moment, everything seemed to grow dark around Ann seeing herself standing in an empty void with eyes staring at her from every direction. With bangs shadowing her eyes, Ann quickly left the place returning to where Emiko was and sat down with a pissed expression on her face as she was gritting her teeth in pure frustration.

"Takamaki... what happened?" Emiko hesitated to ask.

As if on cue with her question, the boys returned to the buffet feeling more comfortable than before. Well yeah, since they literally threw up everything they've eaten.

"What took you so long?!" Ann complained.

"Why're you all pissy...?"

"Sorry... I had a run-in with some woman a second ago. She bumped into me, but then said it was all my fault when she dropped her plate..."

"Sound like a real bitch..."

"Yeah... thanks though. But... the restaurant workers all looked at me with this disapproving expression..."

"Bastards... they're all the same" Emiko mumbled quietly to herself as the boys sat down.

"I wonder if we're out of place here..." Ann trailed.

"It always feels like this..." Ren lowered his head.

"........." Ryuji grunted.

"As much as I hate to say this, but you're right, Amamiya..."

"Hey, Morgana?" Ryuji spoke.

"What is it?"

"...Anyone can have a Palace, yeah?"

"Anyone with a strong, distorted desire."

"Same for them havin' a change of heart if their Treasure gets stolen?"

"That would be the case."

"Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?" Ann questioned.

"We had a trouble earlier too. These selfish shitheads who just looked down on everyone else..." Ryuji replied, "...I was just wonderin' if we'd be able to change those kindsa people too."

"You mean... you want to continue as the Phantom Thieves?"

"...I've been thinkin'. We put a lot of work in changin' Kamoshida's heart, but nobody believes in the Phantom Thieves. Plus... those guys who had no other choice but to just deal with it are thankin' us. Us, of all people."

"That was pretty unexpected." Ren nodded.

"I... I agree. If we ignore people who are in trouble, I'd go back to being the same as I was before...!" Ann looked away.

"Well... that's true. You're under my tutelage. There's nothing we can't accomplish as phantom thieves!" Morgana stated proudly.

"Shouldn't we be able to help 'em out?" Ryuji asked.

 _"I didn't even think of such possibility... but it's true with that power, we may be able to help people out..."_ Ren thought.

"But... this means we'll have to fight Shadows again, doesn't it...?" Ann asked.

"Indeed. That can't be avoided." Morgana nodded.

"Eh, I'm sure we'll manage. Right?" Ryuji grinned.

"If we're together, it can work." Ren smiled.

"Renren!" Ryuji exclaimed loudly and happily.

"Heh... even if you are still just fledglings, this means we're an actual organization now." Morgana spoke for the-matter-of-factly.

"Fledgling...? Haha, that's actually pretty fitting for us." Ann giggled

"All right, it's settled! We're gonna catch all these shitty adults by surprise, and make ourselves known to the world!"

"Hey, Hayashi how about you join us?" Ann suggested happily.

"Yes, you were amazing against Kamoshida, so I'm sure you'll be a perfect addition to the team." Morgana followed.

"Excuse me?" Emiko scoffed angrily.

"What's wrong, Mikki?"

"Me joining you? No, thank you I'd rather not."

"Why's that?"

"Good and evil exist in this world and we don't have the right to mess with this balance. Not me, not you... and definitely not _**you**_." Emiko glared at Ren while saying the last word.

"........" Ren narrowed his eyes.

"You honestly think that you can change the world and shape it in the way you all want with no evil or injustice? Wake up from your childish dreams and face reality. Your actions won't help anyone because people must face their own problems themselves."

"Mikki, what's gotten into you? This isn't you, this isn't the Mikki I knew! I don't want this version of you, give me the old Mikki back!"

"Will you shut up, Sakamoto?! We're not in elementary anymore! The Mikki you know is... is dead."

".........!"

"Just forget about me. Sometimes, you just need to let go of the past... that'll be much easier for you."

"Oh hell no! I'll never give up on you!"

"What...?"

"When I acted like a total dick to Ann last year and we stopped talking, did I ever forget about her? No!"

"Ryuji..."

"You're my childhood friend, Mikki... and I will NEVER do that!"

"...Do whatever you want. And don't worry, I won't say anything about you. It's not to my benefit if you all get exposed since I'll get in trouble too because I'm already acquaintanced with you. Now if you'll excuse me... I must leave." Emiko stood up from the couch preparing herself to leave.

"You don't have to give us your answer right away, Hayashi-San. Think about it."

"........." The brown-haired stole a quick glance at Ren before walking away from them.

"Mikki..."

"Wow, when you said that your friendship was damaged, I didn't expect it'll be that much." Morgana commented.

"I know she'll be back, I just know."

"I know, Ryuji. I believe in that too." Ann smiled sadly "The Hayashi we knew will be back. We just have to believe in it."

"A-Ann..."

".........." Ren adjusted the position of his glasses.

"...Are you okay being our leader, Ren?" Ann asked.

"Eh?"

"No objections here! I can't handle all that responsibility stuff." Ryuji said.

"Where's my say in this? But Lady Ann made the recommendation, so I'll allow it." Morgana said.

"Um, Takamaki-San..." Ren trailed.

"Just go with Ann. We're friends by now, aren't we?"

"Okay... Ann."

"Good to be working with you, Ren."

"Asshole! You blew me off when I said it!" Ryuji shouted.

"Good to be working with you, Ryuji." Ren chuckled.

"O-Okay, now you've got it."

 _"Then again..."_ Ren looked at the door where Emiko left a while ago.

"Well, should we decide on a name for our group? I just went with Phantom Thieves of Hearts last time, but don't you think a real name would be cooler?" Ryuji asked with an excited grin.

"Ooh, I've got it! I want it to be something both cute and luxurious sounding... let me see... how about **'The Diamonds'**?" Ann suggested.

"...I'm gettin' a real little league baseball feel from it."

"Well then, here's my suggestion. How about **'Tilefish Poele'**?" Morgana spoke up.

"Tile... what?"

"That's what I ate earlier. It's commemorative, no?"

"Hell no, you idiot!"

"What do you think, Ren? Any ideas?" Ann asked.

" **'The Phantoms.'** "

"Huh, that's not bad at all."

"A good name, for a rookie." Morgana commented.

"Well, now's the name set, who's our next target?" Ann asked.

"There are tons of rotten adults and all... why not just stick to targeting big names?"

"To gain more fame? And like a CEO for an example?" Ren questioned.

"Yeah, something along those lines. If we go after some bigwig, It's gotta get on the news, right? Don't you think more people would believe in us if we did that?"

"That's not a bad idea... for you, Ryuji." Morgana rolled his eyes.

"True. If we become better known... we might be able to give courage to a lot of people. I don't really like the idea of just picking someone out of the blue though." Ann adjusted herself.

"Let's narrow it down to someone we can all agree on then." Ryuji suggested.

"Hm, so we need a bigwig we decide on unanimously." Morgana hummed.

"I like that unanimous decision part! It's like we're making some kind of pact!" Ann exclaimed.

"Now then, this is the official formation of the Phantom Thieves organization!" Morgana announced.

"Oh no! Our time for the buffet ran out..." Ann trailed in disappointment.

"I guess we'll just have to talk more tomorrow." Ryuji shrugged his shoulders.

*******

_**\------Evening: Leblanc's Attic------** _

That night, Ren returned home with a big and sheepish grin on his face. He hadn't felt that much fun in such a long time. The food was very delicious despite the fact that it only remained in his stomach for a little time before throwing it all up. There were several other reasons why he was so happy that day: The official establishment of the Phantom Thieves, calling his new friends by their firsts names, and becoming the leader of The Phantoms group. The dark-haired still had that big smile on his face after he changed his clothes and laid down on his bed. He closed his eyes dreamily dazzling himself in the quietness and peace of the night knowing that everything is working out just fine. Morgana was no less happy than the boy and seeing him in such an amazing state made him happy himself as he jumped up on the bed.

"Well, we spent all our money on the buffet, but... we officially established the Phantom Thieves, so it was totally worth it!" Morgana exclaimed.

"Yeah." Ren smiled serenely.

It was then when the soft voice of vibration came from Ren's phone knowing that his new friends were messaging him; a habit that existed since the time it was only him and Ryuji, but the more the merrier.

_Ryuji: The Phantom Thieves, huh... I'm liking the sound of that!_

_Ann: I hope we can really help people._

_Ann: I'm curious about the Phantom Aficionado Website too._

_Ann: I wonder who made it..._

_Ryuji: No clue._

_Ryuji: More importantly, you see the survey on there?_

_Ren: I did._

_Ryuji: I dunno how I feel about it._

_Ann: Yeah, there was this approval rating thing, but it was only at like 6%..._

_Ren: Only? That's way too low..._

_Ryuji: But don't you just wanna get it higher than that?_

_Ryuji: I bet it'll go up tons if we keep taking down big targets._

_Ryuji: But that's pretty damn exciting if you try and think about it like that._

_Ann: You know, you're actually right._

_Ann: Well then, let's keep working hard from this point on!_

_Ryuji: But, y'know... I keep thinking about somethin'._

_Ann: What is it?_

_Ryuji: Mikki I mean. About the reasons that made her become like this._

_Ryuji: I really don't understand._

_Ann: Yeah, I understand how you feel..._

_Ryuji: Do you think she might join us?_

_Ren: That's her decision. We should leave this to her._

_Ryuji: Yeah, you're right..._

_Ryuji: Sorry for bringin' that up._

_Ann: Ryuji..._

"I actually feel really sorry for Ryuji. It must be really painful to lose a friend like that... I can't even imagine how he feels now." Morgana admitted.

".........."

"And about that detective Akechi, you need to be very careful around him. He has a quick and sharp mind."

"I know."

Placing his phone down, Ren took off his glasses before staring up at the old wooden ceiling above him. The joy he felt was gone since his mind went back to think about Emiko, her harsh words, and unjustified actions towards all of them. But still... she has a kind heart of her own. It was obvious when Ren saw how Emiko cried while hugging Mayu on the day Kamoshida confessed his crimes.

Could someone so cruel be so kind at the same time...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF, I FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER!!!
> 
> I know that many of you are probably complaining about the lack of RenEmi, but rest assured. Good things come in their times.
> 
> So be patient to witness how their relationship will grow and blossom~
> 
> And I know that this chapter's pretty much a copy from Infinity, but my hands were tied. I couldn't fit or add anything new... sowwy. ;-;
> 
> Good things come in their due time! I promise!
> 
> Rand Talih💞
> 
> Published on: Thu/Dec 31/2020


	15. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fatal dame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, everyone! I'm more than glad to present to you the 11th chapter of Paradox! Even though no one's really reading this story anymore... but, oh well!  
> Onto the chapter now!

**_\-------The Velvet Room------_ **

The sound of the very familiar chains clunking in Ren's ears caused him to wake up by fluttering his dark grey eyes open. Shaking off the dizziness he felt, he stood up from his bed while feeling numbness running through his limbs due to the cuffs that were imprisoning him. The chains were clunking, their voice ringing through his ears to remind him of his position in the place he currently stood at, an inmate, a prisoner of fate. Inmate, huh... the word sure had a lot of memories, unpleasant ones even. Lifting his eyes up across the door of the cell, his gaze was met with Igor's sly smirk sitting on his desk in the center of the room along with the young twin wardens staring at him with their golden eyes.

"First off... I'd like to begin by congratulating you." Igor smirked slyly.

"To think our master would give words of praise..." Justine trailed.

"You better treasure this moment, Inmate!" Caroline shouted in a taunting tone.

"You have encountered allies who share your aesthetics, and you have found your place in reality. The time has come... your rehabilitation will soon begin."

"What rehabilitation? I don't understand."

"Just shut up and listen, Inmate!" Caroline hit the cell's bars.

"You have a special potential. However, that must be refined into a useful power. It is weak now, but refining it shall grant you the strength to stand against the coming ruin." Igor explained, "...That is the rehabilitation cast upon you."

"Coming ruin...?"

"There are various means by which you may gain the power to resist the ruin. Fighting Shadows and gaining experience is one way. The fusion process I taught you prior is another."

"This is all possible because of our master's guidance, Inmate!" Caroline spoke.p

"Though it may be presumptuous of us, we have words of wisdom as well." Justine added.

"When you're out in reality, you better hone your relationships with those you have contracts with!"

"Spending time with those people... will lead to the cultivation of your relationships with them."

"If you've got time to waste, you'd better visit your contractors, Inmate!"

"That is another source of power to evade the ruin that our master has mentioned."

"Thanks to the contractors you've formed, your heart is steadily gaining the power of opposition. It seems your rehabilitation is going well. This is a truly joyous occasion... may the devotion to your rehabilitation grow even deeper." Igor elaborated, "...I have high hopes of you."

"...The time has come. Return to your brief moments of rest." Justine spoke calmly as the bell rang.

"And don't forget to go talk to your contractors, Inmate!"

*******

**_\------Time Skip: Next Day------_ **

The sounds of joyous waves of laughter and incomprehensible chatters were filling the air as Shujin's students were happily making their way to school mostly in pairs or groups. Between the crowd of students, there was Emiko who stood out being the only person walking all by herself isolated from the world around her. She couldn't care less about people around her as the gaze of her dark brown eyes was completely fixed on her phone's screen examining the Meta Nav app for the millionth time. Memories inside Kamoshida's castle rewinded in her brain as she recalled the events that occurred there. Kamoshida's Shadow, the voice of her Persona, her awakening, the battle she had helping out Ren and the other, but most importantly...

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

Ren Amamiya along with his friends and his talking cat formed this group, seeking to help people in need with the power of their Personas by changing the hearts of corrupted people. Emiko thought that their goals, principles, and ideals were very childish and naive since they were hoping to create a perfect utopia where no evil could exist.

_"It's hopeless. They can't."_

_"Evil will always exist, no matter what."_

That was her point and it held something true in it, but at the same time, she had a second thought about joining them that she said she didn't want to but in reality, she was hesitant. It was true that evil would always be there, but wouldn't it be best if it was reduced at least? If less evil was out there in the world, wouldn't that be better for everyone? The number of crimes would decrease, things would be more peaceful, and everyone would be happier. She was very deep in her thoughts to the point that she never realized that she stopped her tracks a good while ago and was alone in the street since all the rest of the students were already far away. When she snapped back to reality from her daydreams, she shook her head and attempted to run what's left of the way to school so she wouldn't be late.

But as she was about to run...

"HELP!"

A nearby loud feminine scream of help rang in her ears which caused her to stop at her place almost immediately and nearly drain her face from its color. Quickly, she followed the source of the sound to find out that it came from a dark alley that was on her right. Mental note to herself, dark alleys, and screaming could never mean anything good. It was the heat of the moment that carried Emiko to the point that she lost control over her body and absolutely no idea why in the world she was running to the scene in the first place like a complete maniac. Her mind and judgment were clouded as her quick footsteps flew toward the area where the scream just came from with only one thought swirling there, seeing what was going on and saving whoever was pleading for help.

"PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME!"

The scream pierced again in her ears even louder than the first one which caused Emiko to quickly run inside the alleyway without even thinking much ahead after she snapped back to reality. With each step she took, the screams of the struggling girl came closer and closer to her along with a husky masculine voice, and when she was approaching the scene their voices became clearer. A young man was harassing a high school girl that wore the uniform of Shujin. She had light brown hair that was tied in pigtails with red ribbons and had red eyes. She wore the default female winter Shujin uniform with the exception of white knee socks and dark sneakers. She also had the first-year pin hung on the front yank of her black blazer.

"Aw, what's wrong, sweetie? I just wanna give you some fun time."

"No, let me go!"

"C'mon, I know you want it even more than me."

"Stop! Leave me alone!"

"You don't wanna that."

"No, stop!"

"Come with me now. We're gonna have so much fun."

At that moment, the young man grabbed the girl forcefully by her wrist which caused her to yelp in horror. Her survival instincts acted up immediately and bit his arm hard with her teeth.

"BITCH!"

He slapped the girl hard on her face to the point of her falling down on the hard and cold floor as the young man rubbed his aching arm since her bite was strong. It was then when Emiko finally arrived at the scene which made her widen her eyes when she witnessed him so **_sickly_** slapping her and then laughing in a sick thrill. Cold sweats rolled down on her face, limbs shook, jaw trembled, and breath quickened crazily as words rang inside her head.

**_"Dad, don't you think you've drunk enough already? Too much alcohol is bad, you know."_ **

**_"........."_ **

**_"I... I'll just take this bottle away--"_ **

**_"DON'T TOUCH IT!"_ **

**_*SLAP!!!*_ **

_"Not again...!"_

Emiko held her head, feeling herself about to undergo another mental breakdown like what happened before at Kamoshida's Palace. The weight of that memory was heavy on her, but that wasn't the time for her emotions to get the upper hand of it, so she lifted her face up again glaring at the young man deadly as if she was a wild animal ready to jump and hunt him.

"So you like it rough, huh? I can be rough if that's what you want." He licked his lips while lifting her up again from her wrist.

"NO...!"

"Leave. Her. Alone!" She finally stepped in.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Another chick to play with? This must be my lucky day."

"How about you pick on someone from your size?"

"What'd you say?!"

"Leave her alone now, or else..."

"Or else what?"

The young man angrily threw the first-year away, causing her back to hit the wall behind her, earning a painful yelp that escaped from her lips. He approached Emiko with a deadly look in his eyes staring at her pupils not showing any kind of mercy whatsoever, but Mikki returned the glare with even a deadlier one.

"You don't want to mess with me, chick."

"Try me."

Provoked by her challenging tone, the young man swung his fist in an attempt to punch Emiko in the face, but she swiftly and easily dodged it by moving her face to the side. Angered, even more, he tried delivering another punch with his other hand only for Emiko to block it by grabbing his fist in the palm of her hand. He was shocked by the physical strength of the girl as his hand stayed in its place unable to break free from her strong grip. Emiko took the chance to her advantage and gave a mighty knee kick into the man's guts causing him to scream in pain while backing away holding his ached abdomen.

Again, Emiko swung her leg directly towards his face, kicking him powerfully to the point of him falling down on the floor with a loud thud. The frightened first-year Shujin student gulped down her saliva as cold sweats rolled down her face after witnessing such a one-sided battle with an easy victory like that especially after recognizing her lifesaver. She did hear the rumors about her shooting her own father and believed that she was a murderer, but at the same time, she has just saved her life.

"If you mess with me, I'll become your worst nightmare. Got that?" Emiko narrowed her eyes, talking in a deadly tone.

"Ugh..."

"Go." Emiko looked at the first-year.

"Eh?"

"Go now. Run as fast as you can to school and don't look back."

"Y-Yes! Thank you. Thank you very much!" She bowed several times to Emiko before running out from the alleyway.

Adjusting the position of her glasses, Emiko stared down at the whining man who was yelping in pain while laying down on the floor. She scoffed disgustingly at the thought of a man who was over 25 years old seeking sexual pleasure from a 15 or 16-year-old girl. The thought made her sick and wanted to gag so much at it to the point of desiring to vomit on the man as an extra punishment for his unjustified actions. Sure, evil existed everywhere and anywhere, but it really could be reduced by helping people just like how Emiko saved the girl, and saving her gave her a weird yet satisfying sensation swirling inside her chest. With a smirk on her face, she made her way out of the alleyway to school as if nothing had happened back there.

Satisfaction; a sensation she hasn't felt in a long time.

Unbeknownst to the running brown-haired girl, a certain freckled boy hid around the corner as he saw the entire exchange that just happened. Emiko had quickly passed him without noticing his presence as he leaned his back against the wall, watching as she ran away and disappeared into the crowd of students. A small smile made its way onto Konno's lips after he witnessed how the same girl who violently pushed him away, refusing his help once literally save the life of one of his classmates. Despite her initial stone-cold exterior, a kind, courageous, and selfless heart laid within his senior who obviously couldn't bear watching injustice take place before. And in all honesty... she was _hella_ cool kicking the ass of that despicable pedophile. Smiling to himself once more, Konno walked from the corner, making his way back between the crowd of students toward the school, having high hopes of what would happen next.

*******

**_\------Morning: Class 2_** - ** _D------_**

Staring out blankly at the window, Ren was staring at his own reflection having a blank expression on his face. Hence, even Morgana who was inside his desk noticed the boy's mood but wasn't surprised about it. Indeed they had fun yesterday in the buffet until Emiko ruined the joy with her harsh words to Ryuji which was really uncalled for, so he understood his drop in the mood. As if on cue, the class door opened revealing Emiko who surprisingly came more late than usual which was highly unlike her from what Ann knew about her. Her arrival caught the attention of Ren and Ann along with Morgana, but she quietly walked towards her seat and sat down. True Ren was curious about the reason why she was late but thought it'd be best to avoid conversations with her as much as possible. A few minutes after that, Ms. Kawakami walked inside the class herself, announcing the beginning of homeroom.

"Like you heard last week, gym class is canceled today. Instead, I'm supposed to give you some guidance. The gist is, don't go around talking about the incident. That's all. The police are still investigating Mr. Kamoshida, so I can't say anything myself. As a teacher though, I'm ashamed for not having noticed that a student was suffering like that... I'm not defending him, but as a colleague, he just seemed like... well, a normal person. Honestly, it still doesn't feel real. I guess people can have multiple sides to them..." Ms. Kawakami looked down.

"The teachers have it rough, huh...?" Morgana trailed sadly.

"Oh yeah, I just remembered something I learned about psychology. They say that humans have several different personalities hidden in their subconscious."

"Different personalities...?" Morgana's interest was piqued.

"Oh, to be clear. I'm not talking about multiple personality disorder. These different personalities can be a different gender or a different age from you. I mean, if you think about how gods and monsters in myths were first based on the human image..." Ms. Kawakami explained, "...If you actually saw one of those personalities with your own eyes, it might look like a monster."

"Oho..."

"Hm? You all seem more alert than usual. Did I say something wrong? Well, I'm just saying what I've heard. It feels like I just now understood what I learned long ago."

"Subconscious personalities... It's a fascinating topic, and it has a lot to do with us. That teacher's surprisingly smart, huh?"

"I guess..." Ren trailed.

After that, the class wrapped up like usual smoothly and slowly at the same time. Ren had half of his attention focused on the lecture and because of that, he didn't feel the time flying by until the bell rang, announcing the beginning of lunchtime. Among the crowded voices of students, he calmly placed his books inside his desk, putting Morgana inside his bag before heading out of the class seeing both Ryuji and Ann standing near the stairs with Ryuji scrolling through his phone.

"It ain't much, but we've been gettin' more postings on the Phantom Aficionado Website... **'I want to make my friend apologize for not returning the stuff I lent him.'** Ugh, deal with that yourself!"

"Hey, those girls..." Ann pointed at two girls walking out of a classroom.

"You know that phantom thieves rumor about stealing Kamoshida's heart? I wonder if it's true."

"It's gotta be made up. Do you seriously believe they exist?"

"But look at what happened to Kamoshida."

"He probably just couldn't keep hiding it after that girl tried to kill herself."

"Yeah, you might be right. I guess there's no way they really exist."

"Most importantly, it seriously sucks that our school is gonna be known for stuff like this!"

"I wonder if it'll affect our college entrance..." One said before the two walked away.

"That's prolly a normal reaction for now, but... they'll see soon enough! If we can take two or three famous guys, people'll have to believe we exist!"

"So about those big shots... we don't have any leads yet, right? Plus there's that rumor about you two threatening Kamoshida too..." Ann pointed out.

"This nonsense is still on?" Ren shook his head.

"Looks like you'll just have to live a normal, honest school life for the time being. Still, make sure you stay prepared just in case anything comes up, all right?" Morgana reminded seriously.

"I'll keep an eye out for info on any big shots that might be comin' around." Ryuji spoke.

"And I'll try to dig up some dirt online." Ann added.

"We went and formed the Phantom Thieves group, but we can't even find a target..." Ryuji trailed.

"There, there..." Ann patted on his shoulder.

"I guess sometimes things just don't go the way we want 'em to..."

*******

_**\------Meanwhile: Principal's Office------** _

Kobayakawa was sitting inside of his office staring blankly at the papers piled down on his desk. It was obvious from his facial expression that he was feeling very nervous and tense. Kamoshida's scandal was getting the upper hand over him and thought that it was threatening his position as a principal of the school. He let out a deep and troubled sigh escape him as if he was carrying a big weight on his shoulders. What caught back his attention was the sound of the door knocking, and when he allowed the knocker to come in, a dignified female student stepped into the office with a stern and mature look on her face.

"Excuse me. Did you wish to see me, Principal Kobayakawa?"

"You saw the state Kamoshida-Kun was in, didn't you? It's as if his personality has completely changed. Something is definitely wrong here."

"I'm not sure if I follow..."

"From what I've heard, it appears as though some students were meddling in his business. If they did something to him... who could they be...?"

"Are you saying that these students may have caused Mr. Kamoshida to change...?"

"That is what I wish to know... even if it takes some probing into student matters... I would like you to look into this for me."

"It is true that there are many rumors regarding Mr. Kamoshida, but... do you mean all of this talk about those Phantom Thieves?"

"It is undeniable that Mr. Kamoshida has **'changed'** in some way. I'd like to have a grasp of the cause. This shall also ensure that I handle the mass media and police in the correct fashion."

"Oh..."

"I will continue speaking to Mr. Kamoshida myself. Unless you find whomever did this, these irresponsible rumors will likely never die down. Don't you agree? You have been at the top of your class since day one. Your conduct is good, and teachers favor you. I could write you a recommendation for any college of your choosing, **_Makoto Niijima_**."

"Th-Thank you..." Makoto stuttered.

Makoto had brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband that matched her hair color. Her eyes were amber in color. Her winter school uniform appeared normal but without the standard blazer. Instead, she wore a black halter vest over a long-sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck. She wore the regulation black and red pleated plaid skirt, black pantyhose, and black-brown ankle boots.

"Your lineage must certainly play a part in this excellence. Your sister is still young, yet she holds an admirable position at the Public Prosecutors Office, no...?" Principal Kobayakawa continued to grin.

".........!"

"If something disappointing were to happen here, that wouldn't reflect very well on your sister..." Principal Kobayakawa trailed playfully, "...Do you understand?"

Did he just blackmail her?

"...Yes."

"How wise. It's no wonder you're our _**student council president**_. I'd appreciate if you looked into this as soon as possible. I ask that you begin at once." Principal Kobayakawa chuckled.

Makoto felt hurt and insulated from the inside as she lowered her head down.

Everything Kobayakawa said was true about her and her grades, but most importantly, **_her sister_**. She knew that she didn't have a choice but to agree, and thus she lifted her face up again, her red eyes were brimming with pain at the principal's words--she had always admired him so much, but now...

"Yes. If you'll excuse me then."

Makoto bowed down respectively to the principal before walking out of his office and closing the door behind her. After the student council president left, he pulled out his phone to dial an unknown number while adjusting himself in his chair and clearing his throat to seem more professional and confident.

"It's me, sir. My apologies for troubling you at such a busy time... yes, it's about the matter we discussed earlier... I have all bases covered. The investigation will begin immediately... of course... yes, I will get results... I should be able to update you soon... well then, I must be going. Thank you very much for your time..."

After he hung up, he adjusted his sitting position while fixing his neck bow, clearing his throat nervously as a few sweat drops began rolling down his face. He really hoped to get to the bottom of that issue and solve it once and for all before it could escalate to something more serious and gruesome. Kobayakawa was speaking on the phone earlier with a terrified and desperate tone in his voice, although he tried to hide and coat it in that professional manner of his. It was as if his life depended on the outcome of Makoto Niijima and her efforts to find the culprit behind Kamoshida's sudden change of heart. He knew that if he didn't have any results soon, he'd lose something a lot more than just his job.

*******

_**\------Class 1**_ - _ **B**_ _ **\------**_

Hearing the bell finally ringing after the long, boring morning lectures, the freshmen of class 1-B stretched their arms after being restrained to their desks for several dreadful hours doing nothing but listening to boredom in its purest form. Taking a deep sigh to himself, Konno reached to his bag to pull his boxed lunch, grinning once he opened the lid to see a few pieces of octopus-shaped sausages... must've been his sister who added them without him noticing. Beaming in pure joy, he grabbed his chopsticks in order to start eating after clasping his hands together in a small prayer. Konno was typically fond of crowded places and he didn't really make a lot of friends yet but never minded the solitude or the quietness of the classroom. The rooftop would be ideal under the warm sun and nice breeze, but he doubted it'd be open after, well... _that_ incident with his senior.

However, before he was able to start eating, he halted all of his movements once his eyes laid upon one of his classmates. She had a sullen expression on her face that was slightly pale, even shivering ever so slightly. Even though Konno wasn't quite acquainted with her yet, from the beginning of the year until now, he saw how bright and cheerful she was. So witnessing her so quiet and _scared_ was definitely out of character for her. During class, he stole a few quick glances at her to see her in that same state, disconnected from reality and the world around her, living through that nightmare's endless loop. Not that he could blame her at all... she was nearly raped that morning hadn't that strong and badass senior accidentally heard her and stepped into the scene to save her life.

"Um, excuse me." Konno gently tapped on her shoulder.

"Ah, wh-what?! I didn't do anything...!" The frightened first-year flinched at the sudden touch, nearly screaming.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you like that!"

"O-Oh Konno-Kun, right...? No, I should be the one to apologize for yelling so suddenly. Sorry, but I just had a rough morning."

"Do you, um... want to talk about it? I-I mean, it's not like we know each other that well! But I thought that having someone to hear what you have to say might make things better!" Konno waved his hands nervously across his face.

"Well, I..."

"I-It's fine if you don't want to talk about it! It's obvious it's something personal and who'd talk about that to a complete stranger, right? Haha!"

"It's not like that! You actually look like a real nice person, Konno-Kun. And you're right, I need to talk about it with someone else. Just... what you hear has to say between us, okay?"

"O-Of course! I won't say a word!"

"Well, you see... on my way to school this morning, I was late so I had to take a shortcut through an alley. But there, a man approached me and began touching me and... I tried to push him away, even biting him! But he slapped me!"

".........!"

Why was he surprised in the first place? He _was_ there doing nothing but shaking his legs in fear and never stepping in to help despite her continuous calls for help.

"But then a girl came, a senior of us, and kicked that guy's ass! Like this and this!" She began punching the air, "She really saved my life... in a way, I guess she was my hero."

"A hero..." Nagisa muttered before shaking his head, "Anyway, I'm glad that you're fine and that creep got what he deserved."

"Mm-hm! But really, I have to thank that girl somehow. And I think I know the perfect way to do this... if my hunch's right about her identity. Gotta do some investigating to make sure though."

"...Investigating?"

"Hehe, it's a secret!" She winked before grabbing her bento, "For real, thanks a bunch for hearing me out, Konno-Kun. I feel so much better after letting it off my chest. Hey, wanna have lunch together?"

"W-With me...?! W-Well I--" His face turned as red as a tomato.

"Ooh, are those octopus sausages? I had no idea boys were into that kind of stuff!" She exclaimed after noticing his bento on his desk.

"Oh, that? My sister made those for me actually. Y-You can have some if you want!"

"Huh? You wouldn't your sister mind this?"

"Not at all! She'd love me to share them."

"She seems so nice. I'm kinda jealous."

"Yeah, she is..." Konno trailed with a weak smile.

His eyes followed his light brown-haired classmate onto his desk while pulling her chopsticks out and having one of the sausages, humming to herself happily as her eyes sparkled comically. Nagisa smiled weakly to himself, glad to see her back at her usual state he saw her at up until now and how he was able to ease her worries... even for a little bit. What she had gone through wasn't easy and no one should ever experience it in the first place, so he was angry that many had to go through that hellish experience who weren't as lucky as her. But what angered him the most was how weak and incompetent he was, getting so wrapped up in his cowardness that prevented him from helping people in need. First was with the same senior back when Kamoshida slapped her and now with his classmate... seriously, spineless people like him were just the worst. He was so weak, so cowardly, so wimpy, so incapable, so shameless, so...

"...I'm so pathetic." Konno mumbled sorrowfully.

*******

_**\------Afternoon: Class 2**_ - _ **D------**_

Heading back to class for the afternoon session, Mr. Inui was scheduled that time for a biology class until the end of the day, and that time Ren was actually concentrating and listening to every word spoken by the teacher. His mind was at ease and there was nothing occupying it anymore since everything had truly turned for the best in the end, so what was there left to worry about anyway? Absolutely nothing, and nothing at all. While writing notes down on his notebook from the blackboard, Ren felt his pocket vibrating from his phone, making him quickly and quietly pull his phone out of it. It must've been Ryuji since he could never pay attention to class, no questions asked.

_Ryuji: The police are really here... I saw 'em at the entrance._

_Ann: I saw them too! They were talking to the teachers!_

_Ryuji: That change of heart thing's seriously amazing, huh?!_

_Ann: I hope they don't find out we're responsible..._

_Ryuji: I'm pretty sure we'll be fine. There's no proof it was us._

_Ren: Yeah totally, there's no need to worry like this._

_Ann: You sound so sure of yourself..._

_Ann: But I mean, haven't rumors been going around about how you guys threatened Kamoshida?_

_Ryuji: This world's Kamoshida shouldn't know anything about what actually happened to him though._

_Ann: Still..._

_Ren: Chill out, Ann._

_Ryuji: We did what was right. Don't go freaking out over some label._

_Ann: I guess that's true..._

_Ryuji: Man, I really can't wait to keep living this double life!_

_Ren: All right, Renren! We're gonna be counting on you!_

_Ren: Stop calling me that._

Yeah, they did what was right, didn't they?

*******

_**\------Time Skip: After School------** _

The school day was finally over, and thus Ren was closing the zipper of his bag that held his cat inside to head home and see if Sojiro needed any help before checking any schoolwork that needed to be done. That day went by just like any other day somehow and he was glad that he didn't run into anyone, and yet the school felt much more peaceful with Kamoshida around. Yes, that piece of society scum was finally set behind bars for a very long time, the place where he truly belonged from the moment he raised his hand on his very first victims. The dark-haired could tell from the students' expressions that all of them were also relieved that Shujin felt more at ease after that sorry excuse of a man turned himself in. Although the identity of those heroes who saved the school remained secret as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Ren knew who exactly those were and couldn't be any happier. With that thought in mind, just when he was about to carry his bag and head out, Mishima suddenly approached the noirest with a big smile on his face.

"...Hey." Mishima approached the boy.

"Hey." Ren greeted back.

"Have you seen that Phantom Aficionado Website?"

"I've heard of it."

"I'm the one who started it."

"What are you..." Ren trailed.

"Um...! ...You guys are the Phantom Thieves, aren't you?" Mishima whispered leaning his face close to Ren.

"Give me some space." Ren spoke firmly.

"...Sorry." Mishima backed away, "Although... if things really are as I think, I should keep it a secret. Kamoshida used me, and I did some horrible things to you guys. This isn't much for a way for me to apologize for it... but if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know!"

"That's great, Mishima but..."

"I'm glad to hear that. There are many more evil adults outside of Kamoshida. But I'm sure the Phantom Thieves will do something... they can't let this end after just one target. That's why I wanted to make a forum where people could post their problems. There are probably a lot of people who have high hopes for the Phantom Thieves' next move. So I've also implemented an anonymous poll on site." Mishima showed his phone, " **'Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves, or not?'** I... hope someday my forum is filled with supportful posts. I'd really like to help out in the Phantom Thieves' acts of justice! ...Can I, please?"

"It's up to you..."

"In that case, I'll just do what I want." Mishima chuckled.

_"I sense abundantly high expectations from Mishima..."_

_**I am thou, thou art I... Thou hast acquired a new vow.** _

_**It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.** _

_**With the birth of the Moon Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power...** _

"...See you." Mishima rushed out of the class.

As if on cue, both Ryuji and Ann walked toward the shocked Ren just right after Mishima exited the class. The two blonde-haired thieves shot the dark-haired confused looks who had a cold sweat rolling down his face before he let a deep, troubled sigh escape his lips.

"We heard all that. Geez... it was a little awkward tryin' to figure out when to walk over here."

"So that forum is Mishima-Kun's..." Ann trailed.

"Has he figured out our identities?" Morgana asked shockingly after popping his head out of the bag.

"Even so, I think it'll be fine. He seemed to be playing it cool." Ann added.

"I guess we should have a little chat about this later." Ryuji commented.

"I will say though... a forum where people can post problems may prove unexpectedly useful." Morgana stated for the-matter-of-factly.

"Anyways, we gotta get lookin' for a new target."

"And we need to stay sharp until we manage to find one. Once we do, we'll have to head into another Palace, so we should prepare our equipment and--" Ann got interrupted.

"Wait, oh CRAP!"

"What's with you?!"

"D-D-Don't we have an exam comin' up?!"

"...Judging by that reaction, I'd assume you're going to struggle this time too?"

"I-It's not like you're any better! All you're good at is English!"

"I'd rather that than be bad at every subject!"

"Even your Japanese is questionable at best, Ryuji." Morgana added.

"What's questionable is whether you're really even a human." Ryuji smirked, "...Good comeback, huh?"

"...Let's discuss with our fists!"

"Bring it!" Ryuji took a battle pose.

"Will you two stop it?!" Ann complained.

"Dear God..." Ren trailed while sweatdropping.

Little did the three know that Emiko was standing right outside of the class's door and heard the entire conversation. That little quarrel of Ryuji with Ann first then with Morgana made her chuckle in amusement a bit while closing her eyes. She enjoyed that small chuckle even though it was very short because it's been a long time for her to laugh at anything in particular. Still having the faint smile on her lips, she walked away towards the hallways as their funny words still lingering in her head.

*******

_**\------Hayashi Resident------** _

"I'm back."

Emiko announced her return as she took her shoes off and placed them near the door before she put her pair of home slippers on. Her feet carried on inside the house with an audible sigh escaping her lips as her dull and tired eyes were scanning her surroundings aimlessly. A numb feeling was running through her arms and legs through the entire day due to the punches and kicks she delivered to that bastard earlier that day--that asshole sure made her use a good amount of her muscle strength. He was a jerk, a lowlife scum for trying to force himself on that Shujin student despite her continuous protests, and beating him up felt so... good. What brought her back to reality was the ever so delicious aroma that came out from the kitchen, filling the house's atmosphere and the girl's nose with the most tempting smell. It was very obvious that her mother was cooking dinner since this was the usual time Emiko came back home because she never hung out with anyone after school... ever since her father's death.

"Welcome home, honey."

A soft feminine voice came out from the kitchen as hurried footsteps made their way to the living room toward the brown-haired. Who stood by the door was a woman in her late 30s who had fair skin, dark eyes, and dark hair pinned into a messy yet elegant bun with a white hair clip as the bangs parted on both sides of her face, exposing her forehead. She wore a dark blue jacket on top of a white shirt, a white belt around her waist, and dark brown pants. She looked at Emiko with eyes brimming and radiating with warmth, kindness, and affection which also reflected on the soft and loving smile she had on her face... she was a true beauty indeed.

"So how was school today? Anything new?"

"Same as always."

"Honey... this is not healthy, you know. You need to make new friends and go out of the house. You can't stay like this forever."

"I'll go and change my clothes."

As if ignoring her mother's statement, Emiko made her way to her bedroom with heavy and lazy footsteps as her mother just shook her head hopelessly, leaving her mother behind her. The mother leaned her back against the door, massaging her temples with her thumb and index fingers while closing her eyes--the spark she had in her eyes and the smile on her lips were completely gone by now. She would tell Emiko countless times to stop living in the past and live her life while she could, especially by making new friends and hang out with them but no matter how much she tried to lecture her, she'd just turn her cold shoulder.

"What should I do with her...?"

The mother returned to the kitchen to continue preparing the meal with her mind being preoccupied with her beloved daughter and her worrying and saddening behavior. She was now a completely different person and not the same sweet and innocent girl anymore, instead she became so... cold and distant. It hurt and broke her heart a lot from inside to see her in such a state because Emiko was never like this before. She was a cheerful little girl who'd find joy and happiness in the smallest things possible--always smiling, laughing, and playing with other children, especially with Ryuji. The Hayashi household used to be filled with happiness and waves of laughter almost every day, every single moment was precious, and every memory was like a treasure.

But it was like that until that cursed day...

And even though Emiko had drastically changed after that incident, her mother knew more than ever that she'd have to pour extra effort to stay strong for her daughter's sake. She'd try to stay optimistic and coherent as much as possible despite everything and tried her best so her daughter won't see her tear-drenched pillow every morning after spending entire nights crying. She was really doing everything in her power, but the smile on her daughter's face was long gone, and couldn't even remember the last time she had seen her smiling or laughing at all. Oh, how she missed those lovely and beautiful days indeed. Wiping her tears away, she went back to prepare the table and place the dishes on it, and that was then when Emiko changed to more comfy clothes and returned to help her mother. The meal consisted mainly of tofu, but there was also some soup, rice, and salad on the side, so the dinner would be more nutritious and not very plain.

"Let's eat."

Splitting their chopsticks in half, the mother and child started digging into their food and eating it in silence. The room was utterly and killingly silent with no voice at all but the ticking of the clock hung on the wall and the wooden chopsticks into the food. The mother looked closely at the eyes of her daughter while eating and noticed from her expressions that she wanted to say something even if she didn't show that, so she made the first move after swallowing her last bite.

"You seem more quiet than usual, honey. Is there something you want to say?"

"Yeah, I think you can say that."

"Well, what is it?"

"Mom, it's good to help people in trouble, right? But aren't they supposed to face their own problems themselves instead of relying on others all the time?"

"Well, you do have a point but you're being unfair at the same time."

"What do you mean?"

"You see honey, not all people are equally smart or resourceful to know how to deal with their problems. There are people who are very simple and peaceful who don't know how to stand up for themselves, so helping those people give them courage and hope that there's still some good in this world."

"But won't evil always exist no matter what we do?"

"Of course evil is always out there no matter where you go and when the world was created, it was created with both good and evil. And as much as it's sad to see how much evil has grown nowadays, but it still can be reduced."

"I..."

"Listen, sweetie, if a person can help another in need then why not? No good person deserves to suffer in their lives as we did for example, so if helping someone might avoid them from such suffering, then I don't see a reason why not."

"I helped someone today..."

"Oh?"

"She was a first-year at my school and I don't know her. She was being sexually harassed by that _**disgusting**_ young man. I don't know what came up over me, but the moment he slapped her for trying to defend herself reminded me of myself..."

"Sweetie..."

"It made me think that girl did nothing wrong, so why should she suffer? It was then when I stepped in and helped her."

"And you did well. I'm so proud of you. Tell me, what did you feel after you helped her?"

"I felt... good and satisfied."

"Is there anything else to be said then?"

**_"...I was just wonderin' if we'd be able to change those kindsa people too."_ **

**_"You mean... you want to continue as the Phantom Thieves?"_ **

**_"...I've been thinkin'. We put a lot of work in changin' Kamoshida's heart, but nobody believes in the Phantom Thieves. Plus... those guys who had no other choice but to just deal with it are thankin' us. Us, of all people."_ **

**_"If we ignore people who are in trouble, I'd go back to being the same as I was before...!"_ **

**_"Shouldn't we be able to help 'em out?"_ **

"No, I finally understand."

_"Yes, I understand it all now."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaah, I finally finished this chapter.
> 
> *Imitates Jay's evil laugh* Things are getting quite interesting, eh?~ Mweheheheh~
> 
> Oh, ma babi boy Nagisa, don't say that about yourself. Not everyone can be brave and badass. ;-;
> 
> Even though that part was my own evil creation, but I seriously feel bad for my cinnamon bun... gosh!
> 
> And for my very first update in 2021, happy very belated new year for ya all! Hope this year will be filled happiness and grace and better than the last one. 💝
> 
> Stay safe, guys!
> 
> Whoever's reading this story anymore...
> 
> Rand Talih💞
> 
> Published on: Fri/Jan 8/2021


	16. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The collective Palace of the general public.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yahoo! Hello from the other siiiide!~  
> I'm back with yet another update, boys and girls, girls and boys! And since this is Mementos's chapter, you KNOW who'll make its debut now, riiiiight?~  
> So without any further ado, onto the chapter now! =D

**_\------After School: Shujin's Rooftop------_ **

"None of these posts are any good. Everyone's just bitching about their parents or their boyfriends. There ain't even a hint of a hint about a new Palace..."

"We can't get everything online... finding a post with a name and location is asking a lot..." Ann added for the-matter-of-factly.

"Guess we just gotta find one ourselves then."

"Are you seriously suggesting we look for a target that even the police have overlooked?" Morgana asked.

"...Yeah, you're right. We should prolly just hold off 'til exams are done with, huh? We can wait and see for a little longer, then worry about comin' up emptyhanded of it happens..."

The sound of a loud metallic squeak kicked in which caused all the three teenagers to get startled by jumping up and quickly adjusting their positions. Morgana even got frightened by the sudden sound and quickly jumped down hiding under the desk he was standing on. Their hearts started beating fast when they heard footsteps making their way closer and closer to them steadily and firmly as if their owner knew exactly where they were heading.

"I thought I'd see you all here."

It was just Emiko and surprisingly, with a rather calm expression on her face.

"Oh, it's just you." Morgana came out from his hiding spot jumping up again on the desk.

"Mikki?! What're you doin' here?"

"Got a minute? I need to talk to all of you."

"What is it, Hayashi?" Ann asked.

"...If by any chance your offer is still up of me joining you, then I'd like to take it."

Shock aroused on all of their faces.

"What made you change your mind so suddenly, Hayashi-San?" Ren questioned.

"My reasons don't concern you."

"Well, we were really hoping you'd join us, Emiko." Morgana began, "Your weaponry and combat skills were very remarkable and will be very helpful to us in the Metaverse."

"What do you think, leader?" Ann looked over at Ren while smiling sweetly.

"I have no problem at all."

"Leader...? Can't say I'm surprised hearing that." Emiko eyed the boy carefully.

"All right! I knew you'd join us, Mikki!"

Ryuji shouted loudly and happily before wrapping his arm around Emiko's neck and twirling his other fist in her hair, thus messing it in every direction possible.

"H-Hey, let go of me!"

"Can't you remember how much you loved when I did this to you when we were kids?"

"I said let go of me, you moron!"

She forcefully pushed him away with an embarrassed and angered look on her face from such a display like that out in the public. Her hair got messy thanks to Ryuji's act, so she had to try her best to fix it by just brushing it backward with her hands.

"C'mon, Mikki no need to be such a buzzkiller."

"Yeah, Ryuji's just happy that you finally agreed to join us. Right, Ren?" Ann threw a closed-eye smile at the noirest.

"Y-Yeah."

"Already with the first name basis?" Emiko raised an eyebrow.

"Of course." Morgana nodded "You want to join us, you'll do that with our terms."

"I guess that's fair enough. I **_DID_** choose to join you guys, after all..."

Cutting their conversation, surprisingly and unexpectedly the roof's door opened creating a rusty and squeaky sound which made Morgana quickly hide away at the speed of the flash. No one knew about their meeting area except for Emiko who was already there which was why they all tensed up and felt themselves on edge as footsteps made their way to them.

"Oh..." Ann got alerted.

"This place is off limits, you know." It was Makoto Niijima approaching the group.

"...We'll get outta here once we're done chattin'. Anyways, what's Miss Council President want with us?"

"The troublemaker, the girl of rumor, and the infamous transfer student... interesting combination."

"Infamous?" Ren had a skeptical look in his eyes.

"Hayashi-San?! What are you doing here? I never expected to see you here with this group."

"That doesn't concern you, Niijima-Senpai."

"But you never had any connection to Mr. Kamoshida whatsoever."

"If you really believe that, then you are sorely mistaken." Emiko scoffed angrily, "So many things happen behind your back in this school and you don't even have an idea of what's going on here. What an amazing student council president you are."

"Do you mean... that Mr. Kamoshida did something to you as well?!"

"It wasn't that hard to figure it out, was it?"

".......! Great way to start a conversation..." Ann gritted her teeth.

"Who are you?" Ren asked the girl.

"She's the student council president." Ann replied.

"Makoto Niijima. Nice to meet you."

"........" Ren only knitted his eyebrows.

"By the way... It seems as though you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well, Amamiya-Kun."

"Not really. Plus, I moved here not too long ago."

"Yeah, y'know he's only been here a month or so."

"Hm... I heard Mr. Kamoshida used a volleyball team member to spread details of your past record. Don't you hate him? Mr. Kamoshida, I mean."

"........." Ren didn't answer.

"What's all this about? My friend here's an upstanding guy."

"I don't mean to offend. Many students have been shaken up by what happened with Mr. Kamoshida. The rumors about that odd, calling card-esque posting aren't going away either."

"I didn't expect someone like you would care about that tactless stuff, Niijima-Senpai." Ann scoffed.

"I dunno that is was tactless..." Ryuji commented, "Anyways, we done here? We can't leave if you keep talkin' to us."

"At least try to understand my position. Being forced to deal with this horseplay..."

"Horseplay...?!" Ann shouted in frustration.

"And what are we supposed to do regarding that?" Emiko folded her arms, "Is this everything you wanted to say?"

"Ah yes, by the way... It's been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident. I heard some people are coming up here without permission, after all... I'm sorry to have interrupted you."

"What was that all about?" Ann asked annoyingly as Morgana came out from his hiding spot.

"...She's on to us. That girl seems rather sharp. We should be cautious of her." Morgana remarked.

"She really pisses me off!" Ryuji growled.

"You probably should be careful, Ryuji." Ren adjusted his glasses.

"Talk about a pain in the ass..." Ryuji growled.

"By the way, you did such an amazing job dodging her, Emiko." Morgana commented.

"It's only because I don't like her one bit. She thinks herself the smartest and above all the rest. I really despise those kinds of people..." She clenched her fists.

"........!" A surprised expression rose on Ren's face.

"That reminds me... study hard. Especially you, Ryuji. There are bound to be traps that will need to be solved with brains. Keep in mind that everything you do in your daily lives has an impact on your abilities." Morgana reminded.

"True, studying won't be so bad if we just think of it as helping us preparing to be Phantom Thieves." Ann added cheerfully.

"I guess you got a point... but man, it's just so lame... I was all fired up about helpin' people, not about studyin'..."

"Well, I do have somewhere interesting to show you beforehand. You guys did originally promise to help me out with my mission, after all." Morgana smiled mysteriously.

"Huh? Mission?" Ryuji asked.

"Follow me."

The cat hopped into Ren's bag and gave a signal with his head to the group as if telling them to move on. Acknowledging his sign, Ren carried his bag placing it on his shoulder before the rest followed him as well.

"Be cautious of that girl. She seems rather sharp." Morgana whispered to the ravenette.

"I know."

Things were just going to get worse and worse for Ren since the threat has been doubled now. First, it was the famous ace detective Goro Akechi, and now the student council president Makoto Niijima.

Who could be else next?

*******

**_\------Subway Station------_ **

That was the last place the group thought Morgana was going to take them. It was indeed an unusual location for a meeting to discuss the details of an upcoming so-called "mission" since it was out in the open and in the public. The sound of trains coming and going along with people walking past them and speakers announcing trips rang in their heads giving the place a lively atmosphere. Still, why would Morgana take them to the subway station between all places? The small diner in Shibuya would've been a better candidate, so that question never left them alone.

"What're you bringin' us here for?" Ryuji asked

"Just do as I told you." Morgana said.

"All right, I've got the Phantom Aficionado Website up. Now what?"

"Look for a post with a full name in it."

"I already said there's no info on any big shots. Don't you remember? But man, people actually go put someone's real name on here. That's some scary shit..."

" **'He won't listen to what I say'**...No wait, there's no name on this one." Ann sighed in disappointment.

" **'Someone's bad-mouthin' me in online chat rooms'**... This one's got a name." Ryuji showed his phone to Ann.

"Ignore those. Aren't there any posts about more serious trouble?" Morgana asked.

" **'I don't know what to do about my ex who's stalking me. His name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara.'** It says he's a teller at the City Hall." Ann read.

"A government worker's stalkin' someone...?"

"Stalking you say?" Emiko's attention was piqued in every worst way possible.

Yes, Ren could tell. The anger, disgust, and frustration in her eyes. She had the same deadly and demonic look on her face she gave to Ann during Ren's way to his first day at Shujin. He remembered every single detail of it, and that was why he recognized it immediately.

"That should be a suitable target. All right, now get the Meta-Nav app ready." Morgana instructed.

"We're just gonna jump right into a Palace? Fine by me!" Ryuji grinned excitedly.

"Hey, what happened to all that talk of **'unanimous decision'**? What do you think we should do, Ren" Ann sought an answer from the leader.

"Let's go."

"And you, Emiko?" Ann shifted her gaze to the brown-haired.

"Geez, I still need to get used to you calling me by my first name..." Emiko scratched the back of her head annoyingly.

"Emiko...?"

"...I'm ready."

"That's what I'm talkin' about!"

"Okay then, let's go." Ann nodded in acknowledgment.

"We need a name and a place, right? So the name is..." Ryuji was about to say.

"Actually, we don't need a location this time. Just enter exactly what I say. The keyword is... **'Mementos.'** " Morgana interrupted.

"Huh? What're you tryin' to pull?"

"Just listen to me. It should work... I think."

"Geez, that again...?" Ryuji sighed.

"Is there a time you'll ever be sure about anything?" Emiko shot back.

"Just do it already!" Morgana whined.

"Uhhh... **'M-e-m-e-n-t-o-s,'** was it?" Ryuji asked ambiguously about what he just spelled.

 ** _"Candidate found."_** The Meta-Nav said.

"We got a hit?!" Ryuji gasped loudly.

"Just as I thought!" Morgana smirked in victoriously.

As if on cue with what the nav said about finding a candidate so they can go to the Metaverse, everything that surrounded the teenagers turned into a dark vortex as their vision twirled along with it which was a sensation they all were familiar with.

*******

_**\------Mementos------** _

When their vision cleared up from the blurriness due to moving through dimensions, they still found themselves in the subway station, but it wasn't right at the same time. Not only all people vanished, but something about the atmosphere wasn't right either; it was dark, gloomy, and very light at the same time. They all got alerted due to the sudden change, but Morgana seemed to be very relaxed as if he knew exactly what was going on.

"What in the...?" Emiko turned around her looking shocked and taken off guard.

"Everyone disappeared....!" Ann gasped, "It... kinda feels like I'm walking on air...?"

"It looks like a dark version of the Shibuya subway station." Ren added.

"Is this that Nakanohara guy's Palace?" Ryuji asked.

"That's half right, but half wrong. This is a type of Palace, but It's different from normal ones." Morgana replied, "Come on, let's head down. The Shadows here lurk underground. I don't quite understand why. It may be because they're drawn to something."

"Underground....? How are we going to get there?" Ann asked.

"How? You use it every day on your way to school. Follow me!" Morgana said as hopping down to the escalator.

"Ah! Wait up, cat!" Ryuji called, running after him.

Taken aback, the four teenagers hopped down the escalator as fast as they could to follow the cat who was already far down ahead of them. However, during the trip down Emiko realized that the more they descended, the heavier the atmosphere got and the more lightheaded she felt. It was weird of course, but knowing that she survived Kamoshida's Palace, she could pull this off.

But what lied ahead at the very bottom was something they yet still needed to reconsider.

Not only the atmosphere was darker down below, but the walls were also covered with large red veins similar to the human ones which sent goosebumps to the teenagers. Their shocked eyes wandered around them in awe examining their surroundings, seeking answers. True it looked and felt different from Kamoshida's castle, but this realm still raised so many questions for them.

"The hell is this place...?" Ryuji looked around him in awe.

That was when the blonde-haired looked down at himself than the others noticing the drastic change in their appearance. They were no longer in their normal everyday attire but dressed in their phantom thieves attire.

"Wait, our clothes changed?!" Skull gasped shockingly.

"The Shadows know we're here?!" Panther asked while everyone looked at Mona.

"Since the moment we stepped in." Mona simply said.

"What?!" Emiko was highly alerted.

"You should've told us!" Skull snapped.

"We're still safe right here. I've come to investigate a number of times. Shadows never come up to this floor. But it's a different story once you go down. This place is simply teeming with them."

"More importantly, what is this Mementos?! It's about time you start explaining." Panther shouted.

"Mementos is... everyone's Palace." Mona stated simply.

"Huh? Whaddya mean **'everyone's'**...?" Skull asked.

"A Palace as grand as the previous castle only forms when a person's wishes are extremely distorted. So, instead of many individual Palaces, the general public has one gigantic shared Palace. That's where we are now..."

"Mementos." Joker continued the sentence.

"Now that you mention it, this place feels a bit different from Kamoshida's Palace..." Panther trailed.

"A shared Palace among the general public that represents their cognition..." Emiko muttered those words quietly.

"When you say shared... you mean they're all put together? Even though they're just strangers...?" Skull asked.

"Think of it as the collective unconscious... no, never mind. You wouldn't understand that." Mona said.

"So, what you're saying is... using this place, we can even change the hearts of people who don't have a Palace?" Panther asked.

"Correct! The steps to do so are slightly different though." Mona cleared up.

"But this place looks pretty huge. Are we gonna be able to get around just by walkin'...?" Skull asked.

"It seems the time has finally come..."

The rest of the four thieves looked pretty much confused; they shared confused and questionable looks between themselves as they watched the black talking cat hop down from the escalator to the floor. He looked extremely confident in himself and even had a smug smirk on his face.

"Morganaaa... transfoooooorm!"

After such a scream and much to the thieves' confusion, Mona jumped up and got surrounded by a cloud of smoke when he was in mid-air, but the surprise was when he landed down, he shapeshifted entirely and took the form of a black van.

"What the--" Emiko stepped back a little.

"Dude... that's..." Skull trailed with wide eyes.

"Come on, Panther and Emiko. Ladies first." Mona had an attempted seductive tone in his voice.

"A car...?!" Panther widened her eyes.

"No way!" Skull gasped.

"This comes from the way cognition materializes in the Metaverse, plus a bit of extra training. It's not dissimilar to how you guys transform." Mona said.

"You turnin' into a car is totally different than our clothes changin'!"

"Uh-huh." The Joker and Panther nodded at the same time.

With that said, Emiko stared at her gloved hand after opening her palm feeling something different about herself after her attire changed like that. She felt more confident, courageous, and stronger as if she could do anything. It was a beautiful and satisfying sensation to her because it's been a **_damn_** long time since Emiko felt this good and alive; it was indeed something new to her.

And that alone made her smirk darkly to herself.

Joker noticed that dark smile on the new recruit's face which is why he couldn't help but have a grim facial expression. He knew that something was off about the pale blue-haired's smirk and couldn't exactly point it out, after all, she was the secretive and mysterious type, so he knew as much that talking with her would only cause more troubles and headaches to him, so he decided to just leave her be.

But he couldn't deny that he was concerned, and maybe just maybe a little **_scared_** of her.

"For some reason **'cats turning into buses'** is an extremely widespread cognition among the general public." Mona explained.

"Why a bus though?" Panther asked.

"...No idea."

"Wait, why didn't you do this at the castle?!" Skull asked.

"I would have if I could! But that castle was cramped, there were tons of stairs, and no way this fits on top of a chandelier!"

Suddenly, Skull ran inside of the van without any further introductions much to the surprise and shock of the others.

"Hey, Skull! Ladies first!" Panther ran after the blondie.

"Stop pullin' me! That's dangerous!"

"Panther! Please be gentle!" Mona begged desperately.

The other remaining two shared blank eye contact with one another before deciding to join the others inside the Monamobile.

"All aboard! Let's go!" Skull exclaimed

But the van didn't move an inch. Of course, since no one was sitting in the driver's seat. Real smooth, Skull. Real smooth.

"Why are you all just sitting back there? I'm a car, remember? I'm not going anywhere unless someone drives me."

"You can't drive yourself?!"

"Do you know how to drive?" Panther asked the leader.

"Time to bust my moves."

"...Um, safety first, okay?"

"Is that supposed to be funny or something? Because I'm not laughing." Emiko crossed her arms.

"It's not like you even smile at all..." Joker mumbled to himself.

"What was that?!"

Oh, _crap!_

"N-Nothing."

"You'd better not smash up my beautiful face, you hear me?!" Mona reminded in a threatening tone.

"All right then, we'll leave the driving to you, Joker!" Panther exclaimed as the leader got off from the car and went to the front seat again.

"Now start the engine! You can't drive if it's not running!" Mona spoke up.

"Geez, what a pain... where's the key to this thing?" Skull asked annoyingly as he hopped next to Joker in the front seat.

"Why would you need a key?! There's a switch just down next to the steering wheel."

"That tickles! Lower, lower!" Mona laughed.

"Sorry, Mona." Joker apologized while lowering the switch, making the engine start.

"Oh, there... that feels sooo goooooood." Mona was literally melting.

"Uh, is that purrin' I hear...? What a creepy-ass car!"

"Don't underestimate my meowtary engine. We're going full throttle! It's time to fly!" Mona exclaimed.

"Great, I ended up joining a bunch of idiots..." Emiko mumbled while holding the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index.

With a sweatdrop since he heard that mumble wide and clear, Joker moved his hand to the steering wheel and started driving. He wasn't accustomed nor familiar with such a thing, so the beginning was very rocky and harsh, but a little bit later, his driving automatically became better.

"Man... this place totally does feel like a Palace..." Skull widened his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess it'd be strange driving on the tracks like this in the real world... anyway, Nakanohara's somewhere in here, right?" Panther asked.

"Most likely in a segment of his own creation. Don't worry, it won't be the size of a Palace. Our next step is to find an entrance to that segment." Mona explained.

"And what's this entrance gonna look like?" Skull asked.

"I have no idea, but strong distortions should be a pretty obvious visual clue." Mona replied.

"So we just gotta go wanderin' around it then? What a goddamn pain in the ass..." Skull sighed.

With that said, the thieves were drawn then to complete silence as the dark-haired handled the task of driving around that realm. He was technically driving on subway railways but surprisingly, the car was going smoothly on them with no troubles whatsoever. Meanwhile, both Skull and Panther were smashing their faces on the windows expressing loud and childish voices of awe at the sight of Mementos. Even though it was the public's Palace and a realm of Shadows, its appearance was still intriguing even for people like the two blondies. But their exaggerated awes made the new member sweatdrop heavily.

"Shadows! Look out!" Mona was first to shout.

As if on cue and already prepared, Emiko got her face out of the window after opening it, pulled out a gun, and shot the Shadow that was running towards the Monamobile. The other two Shadows appeared and attempted to jump on the car but with two swift moves, the girl shot them both in mid-air turning to two clouds of black goo. She returned back to her seat with a blank expression as if nothing happened at all. Her new teammates shot her astonished, shocked, and surprised looks, given how fast she reacted. Had she not almost immediately shot them, they might've engaged in an unnecessary battle.

"W-Wow...!" Mona was at a loss for words.

"Mikki, that was a total ass-kicking!"

"Yes, it was amazing! And the way you shot those Shadows!" Panther followed.

"Morgana?" Emiko spoke up.

"Yes?"

"What's the deal behind those clothes anyway?"

"This happens when you oppose a Palace's ruler and they see you as a threat, but it also helps to protect you from the distortions. Your appearance also reflects your rebel soul, so it's also deeply connected to who you are."

"I see..."

"You know, I was wondering... why do your hair and eye color change in the Metaverse, Emiko?" Panther asked curiously.

"Yeah, I wanna know too!" Skull looked at her from the front.

"Do I look like someone who can answer that?"

"What do you think, Mona? Or you don't know that either?" Skull didn't put his hopes up.

"Hey, don't give me that! This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this! But whatever the reason may be, it's deeply connected to Emiko's personality."

"Wait, we still haven't given Emiko a code name yet!" Panther exclaimed.

"A... code name?"

"It wouldn't be cool for phantom thieves to call each other by their real names, am I right?" Skull grinned goofily.

"You moron..." Mona mumbled, "That's just his opinion. The real reason is to protect our identities from exposure during infiltration."

"So that's what this is all about."

"I'm Skull, he's Joker, Panther, and Mona."

"Now, what code name will be good for you...?" Panther trailed.

"Judgin' by your clothes.... **'Soldier'**!" Skull exclaimed.

"Pass."

"Oh, you definitely look like a **'Warrior'**!" Panther followed.

"Next."

"What do you think, Joker?" The ash blonde-haired sought an answer from the leader.

" **'Aqua'** maybe?"

"...And you call yourself a leader?"

"Well, what do you want to be called?"

"How about **'** **Flare'** since my combat and weaponry skills are as obvious as it?"

"Why don't we go literal and name you **'Show-off'**?" Mona laughed.

"How about I go literal by leaving a bullet in your head?"

"N-No, thanks."

"Hey, that ain't bad! I like it!" Skull grinned widely.

"Okay, Flare it is!" Panther exclaimed.

"Good to have you, Flare." Joker tried his best to pull at least one faint smile on his face.

"I will do whatever I can, but no guarantees though." Flare closed her eyes while pulling her white muffler up to cover her mouth.

"Such a tough audience..." Mona mumbled to himself.

"I heard that."

With that statement, the other three laughed nervously while sweatdropping heavily, and yet Flare remained in her position with her eyes closed and her muffler covering half of her face. The journey continued as the car drove inside the railways of Mementos, and it went relatively smoothly without many interruptions from Shadows since Flare shot them from the window. Her other teammates were astonished by her abilities and thought that she possibly can do that with her eyes closed.

That pace continued until Mona started getting a strong reading nearby and started giving Joker directions. He followed all of Mona's instructions as the other three thieves seemed on guard knowing that the target is now not so far from them. Soon enough, the car finally stopped, and they took off letting Mona revert back to a cat, but it seemed that they reached a dead end, but the wall across them had a reddish portal on it. That was definitely the segment's entrance.

"Dude, what the hell is this...? It's all wavy and shit." Skull widened his eyes.

"This is the place... I sense the target up ahead. Now, are you ready, Joker?" Mona asked.

"Let's do this!" Joker ran into the segment along with the others.

The other side wasn't very different from Mementos' overall. It was an empty room that had railways on the floor, and the walls were also covered with red veins just like how they saw in every corner of this realm. However, right across the room stood the silhouette of a person covered with a black aura roaming around it.

"Hey, something's there." Skull pointed at the silhouette standing a few feet away from them.

"That seems to be Nakanohara's Shadow." Mona added.

"Lemme see. Some front desk guy at City Hall became a stalker, right?"

"I don't know how much evil he's done, but we have to do something if he's bothering other people." Panther narrowed her eyes.

"All right, let's talk to him." Joker said while looking at his teammates.

"We're behind you, Joker." Morgana nodded as they walked towards him.

"Who are you?!" Shadow Nakanohara yelled.

"Are you that stalker?! Haven't you ever stopped to consider how your ex feels?" Panther asked angrily.

"She's my property! I can do whatever I want with her! It's not like she didn't treat me like a plaything! What's wrong with me doing the same?!"

"Your property?" Flare knitted her eyebrows angrily.

"You can't treat someone like shit just 'cause they did it to you! What a load of crap..." Skull gritted his teeth, "We're gonna change the hearts of all bastards like you!"

"There are millions of people far worse than me! What about Madarame...? He stole everything from me, but you're letting him off the hook?!" Shadow Nakanohara yelled.

"Madarame?" Joker whispered to himself.

"...Madarame? What the hell this guy goin' on about?" Skull mumbled.

However, a dark gooey aura formed around the Shadow's body turning him into a stronger version of a Shadow that resembled a brown cat in a way or another surrounded with a reddish dark aura, but Mona couldn't deny that he felt his power increasing drastically.

"Get ready! Here he comes!" Mona exclaimed.

"Now that I finally have what's rightfully mine... I'm not going to let you take it away... look... this is a winner-takes-all world. Come fight me and I'll show you what I mean!"

"DIE!" Shadow Nakanohara began the battle by charging and jumping on Joker.

The noirest reflected quickly and dodged the attack by jumping to the side, and he quickly pulled his gun out firing a bullet that hit the Shadow in its shoulder.

"ARGH...!"

"Persona!"

Joker called Agathion once more creating a powerful gust of wind that sent the Shadow flying a few feet backward. He glared at Joker in a deadly way announcing that he officially became his target since he charged at him once more.

"Carmen!"

"Captain Kidd!"

Fire and thunder merged together in one powerful spell that flew towards Shadow Nakanohara which was barely able to dodge it but still sent him flying backward a bit.

"All right!" Skull gave Panther a high five.

"It's your time to shine, Zorro!"

Another powerful wind attack blew all over the room, but this time Shadow Nakanohara predicted it and swiftly dodged it much to Mona's shock. With a smirk on its face, the Shadow charged once more towards the big head of the Phantom Thieves; the leader and was jumping fast towards him. But his attempted attack was interrupted by Flare who ran and stood in front of Joker giving him a powerful kick in its abdomen, then swung her foot once more delivering a mighty kick in the middle of its face causing it to fall down powerfully on the floor with a loud thud.

"Let me show you how it's done."

Flare walked confidently towards the Shadow which was wincing on the floor followed by the anticipated looks of her teammates. Her face was covered with blue flames causing her mask to disappear and Valkyrie appearing behind her back.

"Human beings are not puppets for you to mess with!"

With that scream, Valkyrie shot thick layers of ice from her spear onto the Shadow's feet, preventing him from standing to run away.

"Here's our chance! Do it!" Mona called.

Nodding with acknowledgment the entire group jumped at Shadow Nakanohara, pulling their stylish and powerful All-Out Attack. With that, Shadow Nakanohara lost all of its stamina and was no longer able to keep fighting which caused it to revert back to its previous shape, sadness, and regret visible on his face and eyes.

"I-I was wrong... please forgive me... that evil teacher used me, then threw me out on the street. That's what caused my fixation on her..." Shadow Nakanohara trailed sadly.

"Evil teacher?" Joker repeated.

"So... is this teacher that Madarame person you mentioned earlier?" Panther asked.

"Yeah... I just didn't want anyone to throw me out again..."

"So some selfish bastard was making you suffer too... still, you shouldn't have dragged an unrelated woman into your mess."

"Yes, I know that now. I'll put an end to my love for her..."

"........!" Flare's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"...Hey, you can change people's hearts, right? In that case... won't you change Madarame's heart?! Before more people fall victim to him..."

With a teary smile on his face, Shadow Nakanohara's body turned transparent and was surrounded by a white aura.  
Smiling once more to the group, he vanished in the air as beautiful and shiny white sparkles which were a sad and beautiful scene at the same time; a bittersweet one.

"Change... Madarame's heart?" Panther trailed shockingly.

"Hm? What's that shinin' thing?" Skull pointed at a cloud of shiny blue aura floating in the air.

"It's the bud of a Treasure. Had we left it be, it very well may have blossomed into a Palace. Joker, this will make a perfect reward!" Mona exclaimed.

"Got you!"

"So Nakanohara had a change of heart, right?" Skull crossed his arms behind his head.

"Most likely." Mona replied.

"But how are we supposed to know if we succeeded?" Panther tilted her head.

"The lady posted that dude's name online. If he really does change, she'll prolly comment again."

"Hm, you do have a point." Mona admitted.

"Either way, trainin' against Shadows down here's the best! It's great prep for our next target!"

"It's also nice to be able to give courage to the people who post their problems online." Panther chuckled.

"Courage..." Flare's lips muttered that word quietly.

"On top of that, we can sell whatever Treasure we get for some cold, hard cash!" Mona exclaimed.

"Sounds like things are goin' pretty great for us!" Skull grinned from ear to ear.

"Seems so." Joker smiled.

"...All right, we did it!" Skull laughed.

"I'll admit, it felt good after this." Flare pulled out the smallest satisfied smirk on her lips.

"Hell yeah, Flare!"

"Hold on. There's somewhere I want to show you guys before we leave." Mona added.

"What? There's more?" Skull asked.

"Don't worry, it won't take long." Mona jumped and began walking away.

"This better be interesting." Flare spoke while following the cat along with her teammates.

Along all the way, the Phantom Thieves kept throwing each other questionable and uncertain looks as Mona gave directions to Joker to drive the Monamobile. He mentioned that there was still something important to show them, but what could it be? The curiosity left them intrigued all the way. But much to their surprise, Mona led The Phantoms group to an isolated area with nothing in it but a dead end; a wall blocking their way.

That was really unexpected.

"...What is this place? It's kinda creepy." Panther said.

"And a dead end at that. Why's it even exist?" Skull asked.

"Is this the thing you wanted to show us? A wall?" Flare asked.

"Now hold on... just watch. This is most likely not an ordinary wall. If my hunch is correct..." Mona touched the wall that opened and revealed a passage that went further down.

"It opened...!" Panther gasped.

 _ **"A new area has been confirmed in the depths. Updating guidance information."**_ The Metaverse Navigator said.

"See?! It's just as I thought!" Mona exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" The platinum blonde-haired asked.

"That wall wouldn't budge when I came here by myself before. But it'd be weird for the deepest part of Mementos to be some normal place like this, wouldn't it?"

"So you were thinkin' there's gotta be more?"

"Yeah! Now that Kamoshida's Palace is gone and people are actually starting to talk about us... I knew something had to have changed down here!"

"How deep is it? Should we try going further down?" Panther wondered.

"Let's not. That's not why we're here today, remember? We've already accomplished our goal. We should head back and I'll explain more once we're home."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Joker walked first ahead of the group with his usual firm and cool look on his face. Glancing behind him, he could see his teammates walking behind with firm and steady footsteps as well. That day was tiring, but also fruitful with learning about the existence of Mementos and the ability to perform a few minor heart changes... the general public's Palace, huh? It was certainly an interesting concept that people, whose distorted desires weren't strong enough to form a Palace of their own, shared one big collective Palace Walking up the escalator toward the entrance, Joker suddenly stopped his movements which caused the other thieves to stop behind him as well, wondering about the abrupt halt. Looking at the direction where the leader was looking, the thieves' eyes laid upon a person's figure standing just a few feet away from them.

Wait, a person...?!

"Hey, look!" Panther pointed.

"Isn't that...?" Flare squinched her eyes.

"A person?! In Mementos?!" Mona gasped in surprise.

The person who stood before the Phantom Thieves resembled a young, small boy about a head taller than Morgana. He had gray hair that was in the shape of a half eggshell yellow eyes, ears that were very round and unusually undefined in shape, and had a pair of goggles around his neck. He wore an oversized white-grayish raincoat and boots with stars and moon motifs printed all over it, black leggings, and matching black gloves.

Around him, shiny white and yellow bubbles floated that had three flowers inside the biggest of them. Also, a small roofless blue car parked behind him that was loaded with different kinds and shapes of items along with boxes in various sizes, all tied up together with ropes. What was such a bizarre-looking kid doing there? And in Mementos of all places?!

"Hm..." The boy in white hummed to himself before the bubble disappeared and turned to glass, "Maybe it's this one..."

He drank the liquid in huge gulps, humming to himself in sheer happiness at the taste while smiling brightly.

"Ooh! Tasty!"

"Hey, what's he drinkin'?" Skull wondered as he approached the boy along with the others.

"Oh? Hmm, I thought I felt something strange for a second... so, who're you guys?" The boy in white tilted his head curiously.

"WE should be asking YOU that!" Mona jumped.

"Good point. Sorry about that. It's customary for a human to introduce itself before asking another human for its name. Thanks for reminding me, Misterrr... um, Tanuki? No, um... hmmm... Cat?"

"What took so long to come up with **'Cat'**?! And I'm not either of those!"

"Yeah, uh, gettin' confused about that seems pretty normal to me." Skull deadpanned.

"My name is Jose. I'm looking for flowers." The boy in white introduced himself.

"...Flowers?" Flare repeated.

"I'm pretty surprised to see some normal humans running around. I didn't know people could just come here."

"Well, we are pretty special-- W-Wait, that's not important! Who YOU are is what matters right now!" Mona emphasized.

"When you said you were looking for flowers, did you mean that floating thing?" Panther wondered.

"That's right, pretty lady. Those seem to be the ones I've been looking for. I'm collecting as many of 'em as I can 'cause I'm studying humans."

"Studying humans? That's why you turned a flower into a drink?" Skull tilted his head.

"Yup."

"Drinkin' flower juice counts as studying?"

"I... have my questions about that too." Flare sweatdropped.

"Hey, could you guys help me with my research?" Jose asked.

"How?" Panther rubbed the back of her head.

"By collecting flowers for me. I wouldn't ask you to do it for free, though. I find all kinds of stuff you can use while you're exploring. I'll trade you some of that stuff for more flowers."

"Hmm..." Joker hummed deeply.

"Whaddya think? Should we try an' get him some flowers?" Skull looked at the team.

"Seems like it could do us some good, but we don't know this kid... we gotta be careful." Mona trailed.

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine. Let's give him a hand. He seems like he could use it, and it shouldn't be too hard to pick flowers while we're exploring, right?" Panther beamed.

"Okay, any OTHER reasons?" Skull asked suspiciously.

"Hehe, he called me **'pretty lady.'** "

"Nooo! Lady Ann..."

"How shallow..." Flare commented.

"Eh, it's prolly fine. I mean, he said he'd give us useful stuff an' all. Whaddya say?" Skull shrugged.

"Well, are you going to help me find the flowers or not?" Jose looked at Joker.

"Sure, we'll help you."

"Thanks!"

"Wait, wait, hang on a second! We still have no idea who this kid is! Don't go thankin' us just yet, bud!" Mona glared daggers at Jose.

"Aw, are you tired, kitty? You seem grumpy."

"I am NOT a cat! And I'm NOT grumpy!"

"O-Oh, okay--then, are you hungry? I learned hunger can make a person turn grumpy." Jose pulled out a bag of cookies, "Here, you can have this."

"Thanks, but I'll pass..."

"I mean, he's not wrong though." Joker shrugged his shoulders.

"You're makin' the kid worry about ya even more. Guess there's no way outta this one." Skull's comment caused Mona to fall on the ground comically.

"I'll be looking for flowers around here, so stop by and say hi if you see me." Jose hopped into his car, "Oh, and I guess just gathering flowers would be kind of boring, huh? Since you humans seem to enjoy playing so much, I'll come up with some fun games for you. Ah, I also remembered something humans like to say to each other: Good job!" He honked the car's horn.

Giving the thieves a big wave, Jose drove the car away, leaving the teens behind him with a deadpanned look as they watched him disappear into the distance. They all exchanged quick, silent glances as none of them dared to open their mouths and comment about what the hell just happened. That surely was... the weirdest encounter the thieves ever had with anyone.

"Who in the hell was that?" Skull asked, finally breaking the silence.

"If he's studying humans, does that mean he isn't one? I mean he just seemed like some nice kid." Panther giggled softly.

"Yeah, just because he complimented you..." Flare muttered.

"Well, he didn't feel like a Shadow... I wouldn't say he's dangerous... at least, for now..." Mona trailed.

"Anyways, if we see any of those flowers he wants, I guess we can grab 'em for him." Skull rubbed his neck.

"Let's just go home for now. There's nothing left for us here, is there?" Flare asked.

"You're right. Come on, let's head back." Mona nodded in agreement.

"Right." Joker pulled his phone out.

"I totally forgot!"

Before Joker could activate the Nav once again, the teens' faces whipped at the source of that call, seeing that Jose's blue car drove back toward them. The little boy jumped from the car before rushing to the dark-haired boy.

"There's something I've been meaning to give to all of you."

"Something for us?" Joker questioned.

"Yeah. The thing is... I picked up something strange while I was exploring earlier. Here it is..." Jose pulled out a shiny blue star.

"Huh? What the heck is that?" Skull asked.

"It's a star. At least, that's what they look like, so that's what I call them."

"A star?" Mona repeated.

"Yes, a star! It's pretty damn obvious that's a star! God..." Flare face-palmed her forehead.

Everyone just sweatdropped at her.

"Um, so, what about it did you want to show us?" Panther tapped a finger on her chin.

"Humans make wishes on stars, right? That's so interesting. Stars granting wishes... so this star is going to grant your wishes." Jose smiled.

"........?!" The thieves widened their eyes.

"Our wishes?!" Mona gasped.

"...Or, it would be nice to think that." Jose giggled.

" **'Nice to think that'**... seriously..."

"I'll give this to you. It's so sparkly and beautiful, you want it too, don't you? It's a **'** **sign of our friendship.'** I know what that is." Jose gave the star to Joker before hopping back into his car, "Off I go now. Good job!"

"Hey, wait!" Mona called.

Before he could do anything, the small blue car drove away, causing Mona's jaw to drop on the floor before running his paws onto his head furiously. No one had ever managed to push his buttons so much as that Jose did... and he did a _damn_ good job in that. Mona thought that Skull was difficult to deal with, but that kid was something on a whole new level.

"Welp, there he goes." Skull deadpanned, "A star, huh? He said it'd grant our wishes or somethin'..."

"I highly doubt something like that would actually happen, even in Mementos... well, I guess you can at least try making a wish." Mona looked at the star in Joker's hand.

"Okay... I wish for all-you-can-eat parfaits! With zero calories!" Panther exclaimed.

"An extra large beef bowl! With pork soup on the side!"

Flare and Joker could only sigh deeply and hopelessly at their "wishes."

"...Nothing's happening." Mona deadpanned.

"Was Skull's wish too petty?" Panther frowned in disappointment.

"You're one to talk!"

"Hm. I guess things don't just happen that easily. But we can't just throw the thing away... hold onto it for now." Mona told Joker, "Well, that was a bit unexpected... let's head back now."

*******

_**\------The Real World: Shibuya Square------** _

The blur was finally gone from their eyes, and they scanned their surroundings to find themselves in Shibuya's station.  
Exhaustion filled their bodies, but they were satisfied nonetheless, but Mementos still raised many unanswered questions in their minds that needed to be answered.

"Mementos, huh...? I still don't really get that place. Oh, and what was that wall thing we saw at the end?" Ryuji asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but it blocked us from going in past a certain depth. If Mementos is the public's Palace though... it might be affected by the general public's belief in us." Morgana replied.

"Why do you know so much about it, Morgana?" Ann asked.

"My memories are a little foggy in that regard... however, I need to know what lies in the depths of Mementos, no matter what." Morgana said, looking very determined.

"No matter what?"

"Mementos is not just everyone's Palace, it's the source of all Palaces. It used to be that Palaces like Kamoshida's with one ruler simply didn't exist. So, if we can do something about the greatest cause of distortions, I'm certain my appearance will...!"

"You wanted someone to save you too..."

"I-I just needed pawns." Morgana nearly freaked out.

"I see... so that's why you come pokin' your nose around with us." Ryuji said.

"...I'll help you. I hope you can regain what you've lost." Ann said.

 _"What's lost, huh..."_ Emiko thought to herself.

"I'll... be relying on you guys." Morgana eyed all the teenagers who were with him.

"It can't be helped I guess. I'm a part of the group now, after all." Emiko closed her eyes.

"By the way Morgana... are you a boy? Or might you be a girl?" Ann placed a finger on her chin.

"Definitely a boy I'd say." Ren fixed the position of his glasses.

"Yeah, I agree... I wanted to make sure though, just in case."

"He could turn out to be pretty ancient. What if he smells like an old person?" Ryuji grinned goofily.

"Stop that..." Mona trailed before saying, "...In any case, of course I'm male! I mean, I..."

"...What is it?" Ann asked.

"No... it's nothing. We're done talking about that! Anyway, we now know that we can perform minor changes of heart in Mementos. If we come across any eye-catching leads, it may be worth dealing with them for a bit of combat practice."

"There weren't any other outstanding ones though..."

"I bet we'll get tons of 'em if we can change someone famous and make the Phantom Thieves well-known. The big fish are our main targets after all." Ryuji added.

"First you need to find a way to get through our exams." Morgana reminded.

"I gotta study..." Ryuji lowered his head.

"You're going to fail after all." Emiko scoffed.

"Hey!"

The sound of the group's laughing, minus Emiko and Ryuji, rang in Shibuya's square at both Ryuji's dumbness and Emiko's boldness. It was really amusing seeing those two quarrels for the first time especially that they knew each other for a very long time. The two childhood friends had a lot to catch up on for 3 years is not a short period at all, but that didn't stop them from quarreling for the old times' sake. But, little did they know that someone was watching them from a distance between the crowds of people walking in the square.

".......!" Suddenly, Emiko turned behind her with an alerted face.

"What's wrong?" Ren seemed to notice her.

"No, it's nothing."

".........." But Ren wasn't convinced.

"I'll be honest." The brown-haired eyed the ravenette carefully, "Defeating Nakanohara's Shadow wasn't actually that bad. It felt good and satisfying in the end."

Emiko pulled a satisfied smirk on her face while closing her eyes. She turned her back away from the group and attempted to walk away by taking a few steps forward, but she stopped her tracks looking at Ren from the corner of her eyes and the smirk never left her face.

"I look forward to what the Phantom Thieves still can give me, _**Ren**_."

".........!"

Between the shocked gasps and the wide eyes of her new teammates, Emiko made her way away from them while still smirking to herself. It was indeed something shocking for the others hearing the thick-headed girl call Ren by his first name on her own and out of the blues; it was something they really didn't see coming. She was confident and determined at the same time, and it felt so _**damn**_ good to her.

On the other hand, Ren's lips were slightly agape, but he soon curved them up to a smirk of his own watching the new recruit walking away also feeling confident and challenged. Ryuji, Morgana, and Ann looked at him with puzzled expressions on their faces wondering where that smirk even came from in the first place. Not only that, but the way his first name rolled out from her tongue felt... intriguing.

 _"Ren Amamiya..."_ Emiko thought to herself.

 _"Emiko Hayashi..."_ Ren was doing the same too.

_"You and me..."_

_"Let this game..."_

**"ʙᴇɢɪɴ!"**

*******

  
_**\------Night: Leblanc's Attic------** _

At that moment, Ren didn't want anything more than a good night's sleep. His body felt heavy and even a little bit sore due to the aftermath of the battle against Shadow Nakanohara. Morgana was the same too and felt a strong urge to sleep after jumping on the comfy bed as Ren almost immediately collapsed on his bed staring at the ceiling above him. His mind was already preoccupied with so many questions about Mementos, but more importantly...

Madarame; the name that Shadow Nakanohara mentioned.

"Mementos, huh? What a strange place full of mysteries..." Ren mumbled to himself.

The noirest pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolling through his messages and missed calls logs yet again with disappointed and sad eyes. Taking a deep breath, he went to the contacts icon on the homepage searching for a specific number. His finger twitched in hesitation, thinking whether he should or not call that number he selected.

"Hm...?" Morgana's interest was piqued and stole a peek, " **'Mom'**?"

"A-Ah, Morgana! What are you doing?"

"You were going to call your mom, right? Thinking of that... I didn't see you contacting them ever since I came here. They didn't call you?"

"No..."

"Why don't you call her then?"

"I can't..."

"...I see."

Morgana felt guilty and looked down sadly realizing that he touched on a sensitive topic. Ren never spoke about his parents to anyone for as much as Morgana knew, and that made him a little sad. He really wanted Ren to open up more to him about his personal issues, but he thought that Ren wasn't ready for that just yet. After all, what he's been through wasn't easy at all. What saved the awkwardness of the situation was the sound of Ren's phone buzzing and picking it up, it was Ryuji who sent an IM on the group chat.

_Ryuji: Man, that Nakanohara guy was a piece of cake!_

_Ryuji: And you totally kicked ass there, Mikki!_

_Ann: Mm-hm, I agree. You were really amazing._

_Emiko: I didn't choose my code name over anything, you know._

_Ryuji: If we can take down some kinda big target next, we're totally gonna get famous._

_Ann: Hey! We're trying to help people, not get famous!_

_Ryuji: But if people don't know who we are, how're we gonna give them any courage?_

_Ren: Are you sure about that, Ryuji?_

_Ryuji: Am I wrong?_

_Emiko: I don't think we're the ones you should ask._

_Ann: I don't think you're necessarily wrong..._

_Ann: But should we really be doing this at all if we don't have a reason like with Kamoshida?_

_Ryuji: You mean we shouldn't be sticking our noses into other people's business?_

_Emiko: What do you think?_

_Ryuji: I dunno, man. If someone's in trouble, it's only natural to wanna help 'em out!_

_Ann: I mean, I agree with that._

_Ann: And I guess I was glad we were able to solve that stalker case._

_Ryuji: Plus, what good are our Personas if we don't use 'em for good?_

_Ryuji: Don't you agree, Renren?_

_Ren: Definitely. I want to help people too._

_Ann: The same goes for me._

_Emiko: ...Renren?_

_Ren: Well, that's..._

_Ryuji: Pretty cool nickname, eh?_

_Emiko: I guess...?_

_Ryuji: We don't got much time to be arguing over this either. That Madarame(?) guy bothers me._

_Ann: Yeah. But no getting carried away, you understand?_

_Emiko: I feel like I've heard that name before..._

_Ann: And don't do anything to stand out like fail all your exams._

_Ryuji: Oh crap! Speaking of that, I haven't studied at all..._

_Emiko: Why am I not surprised?_

_Ryuji: What about that star? The one Jose gave us._

_Ryuji: Wonder if that could help us ace the exam..._

_Ann: Yeah, somehow I doubt that._

_Emiko: That's never going to happen._

_Ryuji: Hell, I'd settle for just not failing._

_Ann: Bargaining isn't gonna help you here. We wouldn't use it for that in the first place._

_Ann: Maybe you should just, I dunno, put some actual effort in? You've still got time._

_Ryuji: Fiiine..._

_Emiko: I'm pretty sure he'll end up failing anyway. Mark my words._

_Ann: Yeah, I actually agree with that._

_Ryuji: You two are real sadists, y'know?_

"Is it Ryuji? Did he mention anything about Mementos? If there's anything you want to know, I can tell you." Morgana offered.

"Thanks, but I'm good for now."

_"Humans make their wishes on stars, huh?"_

_"Actually, you're not wrong at all, Jose..."_

"By the way... you can tell me whatever's bothering you. You'll feel much better once you do. I'll be listening to whatever you say. Remember, we're a team now so you're not alone anymore." Morgana offered kindly.

"I appreciate it, Morgana. I really do." Ren smiled sadly as he stroked the cat's head gently.

_"Only if I could..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAN!!! MY FINGERS ARE ALL SORE!!! DXXX
> 
> AND EMIKO FINALLY JOINED THE PHANTOM THIEVES!!! FUCKKKKKK YEEAAAAHHHH, BABY!!!
> 
> Ho ho ho, am I sensing a rivalry growing between Ren and Emiko?
> 
> Finally, this is one of the first levels of the development of their relationship.
> 
> And bruh, I ain't gonna lie, but I absolutely LOVED Jose's debut in Royal. I found the way he kept pushing Morgana's buttons really hilarious! 😂😂😂
> 
> Did you like the chapter?
> 
> Let me know 😊
> 
> Published on: Wed/Jan 13/2021
> 
> Rand Talih 💞


	17. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new counselor arrives at Shujin Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, surprise! Why hello there everyone, and welcome to the first original chapter of Paradox that completely differs from Infinity! It's FINALLY the big debut of our fav Royal man! I've been eager and waiting to write this chapter, so I'm thrilled to put it in your hands!  
> Now, onto the chapter!

**_\------Time Skip: Shujin Academy's Gymnasium------_ **

Days just ran by very quickly without noticing at all, so the teenagers found themselves already facing the first day of the exams. It seemed as if the only two who actually took it seriously and studied well for it were Ren and Emiko. But before the finals started, Ryuji had called his best bud desperately asking for his help to study, and it appeared that even for Ryuji studying with someone can, in fact, be more fun and less dull and boring. Ren doubted that his help would be beneficial at all, but he crossed his fingers and hoped for the best. On the first day on May 11, they had biology in which was a no-brainer for the two dark-haired thieves. Then on May 12, it was history and English in which Emiko felt herself doing more than excellent since English was secretly her most favorite subject of all time. After that on May 13, it was social studies and math, making Ren doing better than the brown-haired since he had a more analytical brain than her. 

After the exam was finally done, allowing the students to take a breather after the nerve-wracking experience, the school's broadcast announced that an urgent assembly will be held at the gymnasium. Glancing at each other, Ren could tell that both Ann and Emiko were as confused and lost as he was with absolutely no idea what was going on. The trio quickly packed their bags before following the crowd of the whining students out of class toward the appointed meeting area--they've _just_ finished their exam for the day and now what? Not before long, all the students of Shujin were lined up inside the gymnasium with Principal Kobayakawa standing behind a microphone, fixing its position. Murmurs and whispers filled the entire room as students exchanged quiet, disapproved, and disgusted looks at the principal, wondering what that asshole was up this time. The clearing sound of his throat caught the students' attention, causing them to stop talking among themselves as they eyed them intensely.

"Ever since that specific incident, many of you have voiced concerns that I could not bear to ignore. We believe the mental health of our student body is absolutely vital, so we've acquired the services of a therapist. The floor is yours, Doctor..." Principal Kobayakawa slightly stepped away.

With that said, the now-curious eyes of the students followed the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching the stage. A tall, bespectacled man with brown, short unkempt hair and a small stubble underneath his chin went on top of the stage toward the mic. He wore a blue dress shirt tucked into his upturned khaki slacks with a checkered dark blue tie accompanied with a white lab coat over the top. On his feet he wore open-toed sandals without socks and in his suit's chest pocket, he had a yellow pen and a staff ID that was further tied around his neck with a red strap. The male teacher with glasses gave the students a small wave along with a warm, charming smile, causing the female students to swoon over him almost immediately as some quietly squealed under their breaths, for that teacher looked... smoking hot!

"Isn't he hot?" A carefree female student gawked.

"It's nice to meet you all." The male teacher with glasses spoke kindly, his voice was as smooth as silk.

"Whoa, his voice is sexy!" A calm female student exclaimed.

"My name is--" He left his sentence hanging in the air, "Huh?"

He grabbed the mic between his hands, fixing its position by raising it to fit his height. Well, the difference in height between him and the principal was... uncanny.

"My name is Takuto Maruki. Thank you for welcoming me to your school." While bowing, he hit his head with the mic.

A collective laugh erupted from the gymnasium as the students laughed at that stupidly silly action. Meanwhile, Principal Kobayakawa could only sweatdrop heavily while eyeing Maruki hopelessly... could someone remind him again why did he bring someone like him?

"No need to be formal with me, though. I'm just here to council anyone who's interested. You can even call me Doc, if that would help you feel more comfortable. Any assistance you need, I'll be-- Oh... I guess I'm not really any good for helping with money problems..." Maruki gave the students a goofy grin.

Everyone laughed at his latest remark--such a comical relief was new to Shujin's students amidst the drama that occurred recently. Yet, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing... in fact, it was more than welcomed and much needed.

"...Thank you, Dr. Maruki." The principal took over the mic, dismissing the students to leave.

*******

**_\------Shujin Academy's Courtyard------_ **

Taken over by sheer joy and laughter, the students left the gymnasium, never easing the conversations about the new "hot counselor" of Shujin. The female scholars couldn't stop swooning over how hot he looked or how sexy his voice was, going as far as recalling every small detail about him from how smooth his unkempt brown hair seemed to the way he dressed. Meanwhile, some male students exchanged their concerns that how someone who looked like a complete joke could be the counselor and was supposed to listen to their problems; Shujin must've reached a new level of madness. They went on their way to describe how silly and stupid he looked, like what the hell was that poor getup like some beggar? Wasn't he supposed to be a counselor? Then how he'd allow himself to even wear something like _that_ in the first place? Opinions varied among the students regarding Takuto Maruki as girls had completely _adored_ him just from the first glance while boys had mixed opinions, some had their doubts about him while others laughed at him like some sort of a joke. Yet, there was no denying the funny introduction of his earlier made the students forget about their mental exhaustion after the exam that day, so perhaps that was a good start? Only time could tell.

Stepping outside to have a breath of fresh air as well as to stay away from the others' gossip before their next class, Ren and his two classmates, Ann and Emiko, made their way toward the practice building. It seemed even there, the trio couldn't escape from the overwhelming gossips and murmurs about the new counselor since some students stood around the corners and their conversations reached their ears clearly. All the previous heat about the Phantom Thieves seemed to go away with the wind like it never existed now that Takuto Maruki became the new hot topic of Shujin. Heading toward the edge of the passageway, Emiko let out a loud, annoyed huff before rubbing her temples amidst the worried looks of the other two. She leaned her back against it before whipping her face upward toward the partially exposed sky, closing her eyes for a brief moment as some locks of her short brown hair swayed lazily along with the wind over her face. After inhaling a deep breath, she opened her eyes again before walking back toward the other two, anger and annoyance still visible on her face.

"Hey, are you okay Emiko?" Ren turned over at his friend's side.

"I'm seriously going to lose it if I heard another word of **'how hot Dr. Maruki is'** or **'how sexy Dr. Mastuki's voice was.'** " Emiko gagged in disgust.

"Yeah, I understand where you're coming from..." Ann sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yo." Ryuji approached the group, "You ever expect this place to actually give a shit about our mental health?"

"Not in a million light-year." Emiko deadpanned.

"Right?!"

"Well, our school's made national news. Maybe they figured they'd look even worse if they didn't do anything for us." Ann stated for the matter-of-factly.

"And Doctor... uh... Doctor Whatshisname."

"Maruki."

"Yeah--wasn't that guy just basically clownin' it up onstage? You really think he'll do us any good?"

"Ryuji..." Ann tried to shush him once she caught the glance of a figure walking toward them.

"Hey there." Maruki approached the group with a kind smile.

"Ah...!" Ren slightly widened his eyes.

"Speaking of the devil..." Emiko trailed.

"Sakamoto-Kun, Takamaki-San, and Hayashi-San, right? And that must make you... Amamiya-Kun."

".........?!" They all had a surprised expression.

"How'd you know our names?" Ryuji asked suspiciously.

"Well, I was informed of certain students before beginning my tenure here. Those who had bad, ah... previous interactions with Mr. Kamoshida." Maruki seemed uncertain with the phrasing of his last sentence.

"Uh-huh." Emiko nodded uninterestedly.

Maruki took a glance at Emiko with an anxious expression, never missing the way he cleared his throat nervously. The moment she raised his eyebrow in silent question, he quickly averted his eyes away from her toward the other three teens. There was it; the same look the students of the school whenever their eyes met hers, she could recognize it anywhere. That Kamoshida bastard... he must've said something about their last interaction. Something like, "Hayashi-San threatened me over false accusations."

"Amamiya-Kun, it must've been especially tough for you after having just transferred here." Maruki turned his attention at Ren.

"No, not really." Ren pushed his glasses upward.

"You're quite the tough youngster--just don't overdo it, okay?"

"So... whaddya want with us?" Ryuji wondered.

"Ah yes, I'd forgotten... I know I already offered my services to the student body earlier, but would you four be interested in counseling?"

"Nope, not at all."

"Huh?!"

"How's that surprising?"

"You were just a touch more emphatic about it than I'd expected... ah! But, if you come to my office, you can have free snacks! All you can eat... would be nice, but there's still plenty to be had. So, how about it?"

"Tell me more of these snacks..." Ren tailed, holding his chin.

"Hey, don't fall for that!" Ann yelped.

"He's fallen victim to temptation." Emiko commented blankly.

"To be frank, I've been explicitly ordered to provide counseling to the students directly involved with Mr. Kamoshida. It's in the school's interest... for its students."

"Ahhh, the school's interests, huh?" Ryuji mocked.

"Even someone like you should've been able to distinguish a lie like this. Isn't that right?" Emiko scrunched her nose upward.

"I know that asking you to be open with a complete stranger like myself is a lot. Making this mandatory wouldn't do you any good, either. Might as well turn it into a worthwhile experience..." Maruki trailed to himself.

"Hm?" Ren tilted his head curiously.

"...Ooh, I know! If you attend my counseling sessions, I'll teach you different ways to improve your mental acuity. Like, ways to hone your concentration before exams, or not getting nervous on dates. How's that sound?"

"Uh..." Ann had no idea what to say.

"That..." Emiko seemed hesitant.

 _"Mental training..."_ Ren thought.

_"If I make good use of this, it may aid in our Phantom Thieves activities too..."_

"There's also snacks..." Maruki reminded with a playful smile.

"Alright, alright, enough with the snacks!" Ryuji yelped before looking at Ren, "So, which way are you leanin'?"

"No harm in a little chat." Ren smiled softly.

"I guess it'd just be more trouble for us if we didn't go."

"Hmm, yeah." Ann agreed.

"God, this is frustrating... fine, we'll do this whole counseling thing!" Emiko ran her hand through her hair.

"Really? Then, I guess it's a deal. I'll be in the nurse's office--feel free to come by whenever it's convenient for you." Maruki beamed.

"Welp, we should get goin'." Ryuji turned his back.

"Okay, I'll see you later."

Giving him a lazy wave, Ryuji walked away from the man and followed by Ann behind him, the two exchanging a light chat along the way.

"Thanks for taking my counseling into consideration. Now that we have a deal, I promise I'll do my best to help you." Maruki smiled again at Ren.

"Sure, thanks."

_"I've made a deal with Maruki."_

**_"I am thou, thou art I... Thou hast acquired a new vow._ **

**_It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity._ **

**_With the birth of the_ ** **_Councillor_ ** **_Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power..."_ **

  
"What's the holdup, dude?" Ryuji called.

"Sorry for keeping you like this. Well then..."

Bowing to him, Ren quickly walked away from Maruki to catch up with his two blonde-haired friends, unaware of the fact that he left behind him a certain brown-haired girl. Standing across one another in utter silence, Emiko and Maruki stared at one as none of them dared to open their mouths to break the awkward and intense silence that hovered over their heads. The more Emiko looked at Maruki, the more she realized the resemblance between him and that... man. Yes, there was no mistaking it anymore... the face shape, the eye and hair color--it all looked exactly the same that it terrified her. It seemed even after that bastard rotted years ago in his grave, he still insisted on haunting her everywhere in any way possible as a cruel reminder of the sin she committed. Seeing the same gentleness and kindness in Maruki's eyes that man used to look at her in the shadows of her memories left a bitter taste in Emiko's mouth--hence, even the sparkle in his eyes was the same. Her face twitched in pain as the line between the images of Maruki's face and that man's face no longer remained blurred... the resemblance was just uncanny!

"Um, is there something wrong, Hayashi-San?" Maruki hesitantly, finally breaking the silence.

"You look... just like him." Emiko blurred out.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Mikki, you comin' or what?" Ryuji's voice came out.

Turning on her heel after a vague statement, Emiko quickly walked away, leaving a confused Maruki behind who silently watched the girl as she caught up with her friends and disappeared into the distance. So many questions rose in Maruki's head about that little exchange with Emiko just now, especially with the way she stared at him as if she wanted to cry.

He looked... just like him?

Wait, she couldn't possibly mean...!

*******

 ** _\------Afternoon: Class 2_** - ** _D------_**

Twirling the pen between his fingers flawlessly, Ren let out a deep huff as he buried his face into his other hand. The events of that morning were... bizarre, and that was the least thing that could be said. Maruki never seemed like a bad person nor he gave any bad vibes or ill intentions--even his smile seemed genuine. Ren wanted to trust that man and open up to him for the sake of the counseling sessions they agreed on, part of him wanted that because the deal they made would be very beneficial for the Phantom Thieves. The other reason was that... the burden he carried with him was too much that he longed to share it with someone. It wasn't like he was opposed to talking with Maruki about it, for he gave a really trusting aura, but life taught Ren in the cruelest way possible that not everyone can be trusted. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth as he pursed his lips solemnly, halting the spinning of the pen. His dark grey eyes stared emptily at the blank pages of his notebook as he narrowed his gaze in deep thought--he was conflicted and had no idea what he should say even if he went to see Maruki. Recalling that incident... was painful and it still hurt him until now.

So... was he really willing to go through that pain for someone he just met?

"All right, settle down. I have an addendum to the earlier assembly, regarding the counseling you've all been offered. The counselor will be available to you starting after school today, in the nurse's office. Dr. Maruki will only be posted here through November, so be sure to speak with him soon if you feel the need. For the majority of you, it's your choice whether or not you see him, but... there are a few students I'll speak with later... the school's decided: visits to Dr. Maruki will be mandatory for these individuals." Ms. Kawakami informed the students.

Mandatory? Now that was just plain rude. After Ren and his friends were _willingly_ going for the counseling sessions, the school had decided to forcefully shove it right down their throats. Letting out a troubled sigh, the buzzing of his phone inside of his pocket caught Ren's attention before he unlocked it and went for the group chat. He had... a pretty good idea what the discussion would be.

_Ryuji: Yo, you guys gonna go for it?_

_Ann: What, the counseling?_

_Ann: It kinda sounds like we're being forced to._

_Emiko: Kinda?_

_Ann: Okay... we ARE being forced to._

_Ryuji: I told Maruki I'd do it, but..._

_Ryuji: I dunno if I'm really that into the idea, you know?_

_Ren: Let's do it._

_Ann: I think I'm gonna try going today._

_Ren: Good luck with that._

"Counseling, eh? Lady Ann's right. Make sure you visit him so you don't draw any attention to yourself, okay?" Morgana reminded.

"Of course I will." Ren gave him a firm nod.

*******

**_\------After School: Nurse's Office------_ **

Standing in front of the closed door of the nurse's office, Ann's hand stopped midway before knocking on it as a hesitant expression invaded her features. Staring down at the wooden floor, she lowered her arms while biting her lower lip harshly, believing that maybe it was best if she just walked away. There was a lot of grief and regret held within her heart, so she had her doubts whether opening up those wounds was really the best way. She was scared... terrified of the pain she might be exposed to if she began talking about it with Maruki; she didn't want to feel it again! Ann shook her head in protest at those thoughts before slapping her cheeks a few times--no, she set her mind to do it! For her sake... for Shiho's sake... if she wanted to become stronger for the both of them, she had to let go of the past, of the pain, of all the hatred. Taking a deep breath, the platinum blonde-haired girl donned a renewed determined face as she knocked on the door, firmly and without hesitation. Feeling her heart beating quickly inside of her chest, Ann cleared her throat nervously while waiting for the acknowledgment for her to walk in. Once she heard a voice from inside telling her to get in, Ann breathed in and out a few times deeply before opening the door in one full swoop, ready to take on whatever the hell was waiting for her on the opposite side!

Stumbling on her feet from the sudden force, Ann tripped and nearly fell down flat on her face hadn't she quickly used the door for support. Inside, Maruki sat on the couch across from the girl, blinking his eyes a few times in confusion, making her cheeks turn rosy pink from embarrassment. Great, she'd just made a fool out of herself! If only the ground would split up and swallow--

"Yes?" Maruki greeted with a bright smile.

"Ummm..." Ann trailed awkwardly.

"Welcome. Are you here for a counseling session?"

"Yeah, is now a bad time?"

"Not at all! It's always a good time, so long as I'm not already listening to a student." Maruki stood up, "I'm so glad you're here. Would you care for a snack?"

Sweatdropping at the mention of the snacks yet again, Ann sat down on the couch across Maruki, silently watching him place a carton box of apple juice in front of her. After taking her bag off, her fingers dug deeply into the fabric of her red stockings as her arms shook ever so slightly. No, she couldn't afford to look weak in front of Maruki now... she was determined to do this!

"Shall we get started? Oh--but first, just relax, all right? I'm only here to listen to whatever you wish to talk about." Maruki reassured her warmly.

"Sure. Although I really only have one thing on my mind right now anyway..." Ann leaned her back against the couch.

"Yes, I'd say that makes perfect sense. But don't force yourself into talking with me. You could even just grab some snacks and be on your way, if you wanted! Haha..."

"No, it's... it's all right. I know I need to talk to someone about this, anyway. That is, if you're willing to listen to the super-long story..."

"I absolutely am. Take all the time you need."

Seeing the way Maruki smiled at her so warmly and kindly gave Ann all the courage she needed as she took a deep breath, ready to share her story. She began explaining how she met Shiho during middle school after the latter told her that her painting sucked during art class, making her smile fondly at the memory. Maruki nodded slowly before gesturing for her to continue, allowing her to recall how they became friends rather quickly and even agreed to attend the same high school. She said how Shiho joined the volleyball team during her first year as it was her sole passion, wanting nothing more than to be recognized as a national hero. Yet, that was the beginning of the end as Kamoshida began targeting Ann after spotting her in a modeling magazine, having sexual interests in her. Kamoshida constantly asked her out for dates, threatening her that if she refused to make appearances, Shiho would be removed from the frontlines of his team, forcing her to agree to his proposal, thus beginning the nasty rumors about her. Ann left no detail in explaining how miserable and powerless she felt for not being able to help her friend despite seeing her injured constantly, how much she hated herself and Kamoshida for putting them through that hell. She described quite explicitly all the despair, anger, and hatred that welled up inside of her when Shiho tried to commit suicide, the painful moment she saw her laying on the stretcher, fighting to stay alive. The words Shiho whispered to her ear about... what Kamoshida did to her because she kept refusing him.

Maybe had she just submitted to him--

"...I see. That's such a horrible thing to do to someone." Maruki knitted his eyebrows in genuine anger.

"Yes. That's why I wanted to get even with him... for Shiho." Ann held her hands tightly.

"Mmhm... and?"

"........" Ann paused for a moment before speaking, "At first, I thought Kamoshida ought to face the same fate Shiho was going to put herself through... but..."

"But?"

"...Later, I realized that wasn't right. If he did take his own life, it wouldn't undo Shiho's suffering--in fact, it'd just give him the easy way out."

"Is that so? You know, you are quite the wise, level-headed young woman, Takamaki-San."

"Huh? Uh, I think you've got the wrong..."

"Nope--in fact, I think you're wiser than I was at your age. I wasn't anywhere near as mature as you are now."

"...It's not like I did anything special, though. If I hadn't gone through my own share of hell, I don't think I'd be so mature either."

"I see... so, what's on your mind now?"

"Right now? Hmm... I'm just hoping Shiho will get better quickly. We both suffered a lot, but... I just wanna get back to laughing and having fun together like we used to. At this point, I don't give a rat's ass about Kamoshida!"

"Now there's a healthy outlook! You can't change the past, but you still want to keep your chin up and press onward--is that the gist of it?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"I mean, it'd definitely be better if none of this had happened at all, but..."

"I definitely agree with you there." Maruki chuckled, "But, it's impossible to wipe every tragedy from history."

"If only, right? Everyone would be so much happier if we could actually do that." Ann laughed wholeheartedly. In all honesty, she felt much more at ease now.

The bell rang catching the two's attention in a reminder of the time that passed by them unnoticeably.

"...Oh, it seems I lost track of the time. We should wrap things up here for today--thank you so much for coming to see me." Maruki smiled at the girl.

"Oh no, thank you! I feel a ton better now that that's all of my chest." Ann gave him a small grin.

"Hah, good to hear it--you deserve it. Feel free to stop by again anytime."

"Will do! See you around!" Ann waved at him goodbye while turning on her heel to leave.

"Ah, Takamaki-San!" Maruki suddenly called.

"Yeah? Something's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm sorry for calling you out like this. Take care."

Watching as the girl gave him a hesitant look, Ann made her away outside of the office, leaving Maruki behind him as he rested his chin on top of his crossed arms, donning a serious expression. Ever since that little encounter with Emiko earlier that day, something lingered on his mind that made him feel a bit uneasy. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious in the slightest, but he had no right in asking.

She had to be the one to talk about it, if she wanted to.

*******

 _ **\------Meanwhile: Class 2**_ - _ **D------**_

Packing his stuff inside of his bag, Ren's attention went toward the window next to him, watching as the sun slowly sank into the horizon as its rays shone upon his face. Narrowing his eyes in deep thought, he couldn't help but wonder how the counseling went with Ann--she should be done from it by now, right? He couldn't help but wonder how it must've been hard for Ann to open up to a complete stranger about everything she had gone through, making him admire her more for that. She... was truly stronger, a lot stronger than him as he was still scared of talking about that day, wanting nothing more than to run away from the memory. He... was still weak... nothing had changed at all... heh, he was really pathetic. Morgana popped his head out of the bag, seeing the bitter and pained expression on the boy's face, causing him to feel nothing but worry about him. He was going to open his mouth to say something when he saw the way Ren shook his head violently as if he was desperately trying to dismiss whatever dark thoughts swirling in his mind. Taking a deep breath, Ren looked down to see the look of worry in Morgana's eyes, causing him to smile sadly before gently stroking his head, apologizing and telling him there was nothing to worry about. The boy really needed to make up his mind and stop making others worry about him--he owed them as much.

Feeling his phone vibrating in his pocket, Ren quickly pulled it up before seeing messages coming from a private chat with Ann.

_Ann: Well, I went in for counseling._

_Ann: You're going soon too, right, Ren?_

_Ren: Yeah, I am._

_Ren: How'd it go?_ _The counseling, I mean._

_Ann: Hmm... well, it honestly wasn't as rough as I was expecting._

_Ann: I think you should just go and give it a shot._

_Ann: Dr. Maruki's easier to talk to than you'd think._

_Ren: You really think so?_

_Ann: Yup, I assure you! There's nothing for you to worry about._

_Ren: Ah, I see._

_Ren: Very well, I'll go and see him right away._

_Ann: Okay, see you tomorrow._

"Didn't you have a counseling appointment? That's in the nurse's office in the Practice Building, right? I'll just pass time in the area until you're done." Morgana informed the boy, jumping out of his bag.

"I just hope it'll go well..." Ren muttered quietly under his breath.

*******

_**\------Shujin Academy's Hallways------** _

And there he was.

Walking down the hallway of the practice building, the grip of Ren's hand tightened around his bag's strap as a blank expression made his way toward his face. Although Ann's messages gave him a little bit of reassurance and ease regarding the counseling sessions, he still couldn't help but feel... hesitant. He really wanted nothing more than to lay it all out in the open and lessen the unbearable weight on his heart, yet he still had his doubts. From what he heard, Maruki seemed trustworthy and easy to speak with but the incident that gave Ren his criminal record taught him that people couldn't judge based on their exterior. Letting out a deep, troubled sigh, Ren massaged his temples as he descended further in the hallway... yeah, he was going to do it! There was no turning back now! With those thoughts in mind, he turned around the corner to spot Maruki walking outside the room along with the kind red-haired girl in the ponytail whose name was... Yoshizawa if he remembered correctly. The two of them were chatting at the door and laughing with much familiarity as if the two of them knew each other from before, earning a confused tilt of the head from Ren as he stood in front of them. Just... what was their relationship exactly?

"Ah, hello." Yoshizawa greeted with a friendly smile, "Are you here for a session as well?"

"Yes, that's right." Ren replied hesitantly.

"Is that so? Dr. Maruki is a wonderful counselor. I've actually been seeing him for a while, before he ever came to Shujin."

"Oh? I didn't know you two were acquainted." Maruki smiled, "Don't go overselling me too hard though, Yoshizawa-San--I'm really nothing special."

"Well, I need to get going. Please excuse me." Yoshizawa bowed politely before walking away.

Ren watched Yoshizawa silently as she walked away before disappearing around the corner with a somber expression. During their last encounter, she gave him the same look of terror others did after recognizing him from the rumors. Now, she just acted as if nothing happened at all--was she just being polite because Maruki was there?

"What say we get started?" Maruki pointed at the door, catching the boy's attention.

"Oh, yeah!" Ren nodded before clearing his throat and following Maruki inside.

Placing a hand over her mouth while walking into the hallway, Yoshizawa's mind couldn't stop thinking about the transfer student. During their last encounter in front of the guidance counselor's office, and before Kamoshida's change of heart, it was the big revelation to her that he was the same person from the rumors. Those gossips she kept hearing all the time made that "delinquent transfer student" sound like a cold and merciless criminal who took pleasure in hurting people. But when she met Ren for the first time at the train station, she sensed nothing but genuine kindness, even his smile seemed so bright and warm. Back then, Kamoshida's revelation to her was a big surprise that she couldn't say anything and because of the way she looked at him, he seemed in a lot of pain. Covering her face with both of her hands, Yoshizawa felt guilt eating her from the inside out for causing him that grief... she really was the worst. She needed to apologize to him next time she'd meet him--rumors are just rumors until they're confirmed, right? Because she was covering her face while walking, Yoshizawa couldn't see where she was headed as the next thing she knew, she bumped into something harshly which caused her to fall on the floor, earning a surprised yelp from her.

"Ow...!" Yoshizawa hissed as she rubbed her head.

"Watch where you're going, would you?!" A harsh voice scolded her.

"I-I'm sorry--" Yoshizawa left her sentence hanging in the air as her eyes met with whoever she bumped into, "Wait, you are...!" She widened her eyes in surprise.

"What? If there's something you want to say, just spit it out." Emiko picked up her glasses from the floor as she fell down from the impact as well.

"N-Not at all!"

"Ugh, just look at this mess... giving me more work than I had to..." Emiko mumbled, proceeding to pick up the mess of papers from the floor.

"Here, let me help you, Senpai!" Yoshizawa began picking up a few papers as well.

"I didn't ask for your help, Miss Honor Student." Emiko slapped the red-haired's hand away.

"Huh...?!"

"I don't need your sympathy, I can manage on my own just fine." Emiko collected the last of the papers before picking them and standing up on her feet again.

"B-But--" Yoshizawa quickly stood up.

"...I don't want to repeat myself." Emiko glared deadly at the girl.

Sensing the dark aura that emitted from the brown-haired girl, a cold sweat rolled down Yoshizawa's face as she took a step backward. Her red eyes widened in shock as Emiko's gaze sharpened and darkened at her in pure... _disgust_ as she walked past her. Yoshizawa heard a lot of rumors regarding that senior of hers as well who apparently murdered her father in cold blood, shooting him right in the head. She thought that it was just too much and students might be hurting the girl with all those stories... but now she knew they had to be true. The gaze she gave her was so dark and intense as if it was piercing her soul, full of hatred and malice--the eyes of a true murderer. She was nothing like Ren whose eyes shone with nothing but benevolence and sentimentality; she had so much venom and loathing. Placing a slightly shaky hand over her chest and feeling the quick beating of her heart, Yoshizawa took a deep breath to try to calm her nervousness down. Lifting her face, her eyes met with a pair of emerald green ones as a green-haired boy stood across her not too far away, blinking his eyes at her presence like he was taken away by it. He gave off such a childish and innocent appearance, especially with his big and round eyes that looked at her with awe like a small child who saw something for the first time.

He never said anything... he simply looked at her in pure and innocent surprise.

"Um, excuse me? Is there something wrong?" Yoshizawa asked calmly.

".........!" Konno's face turned dark red, "N-No, I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to stare at you like that! P-Please don't think I'm a creep or anything! E-Excuse me!"

The green-haired boy had bowed to her many times comically at a quick pace before running away from the area as if he never was there. Yoshizawa simply stood behind bewilderingly before turning to a confused chibi figure, tilting her head as a question mark popped out from it. She was simply going to ask him whether he needed something and not judge him at all because she never thought he was a creep at all. Oh well... it looked like she had to apologize to him too.

*******

_**\------Meanwhile: Nurse's Office------** _

"Welcome! Thank you for coming." Maruki beamed, pointing at the couch across him.

"We made a deal, right?" Ren sat down hesitantly.

"Ahaha, well... I'll try to make sure it's worth the trouble."

".........."

"Now, would you mind telling me what happened to you that day?" Maruki narrowed his eyes, "It's fine if the subject's uncomfortable to you. I'm here just to listen and not make judges."

"Okay..." Ren nodded slowly.

Taking a deep breath, Ren re-positioned himself on the couch before proceeding to talk about the story in full detail as Maruki leaned forward to hear it all. The dark-haired boy tried his best to recall everything that happened that night in full detail--how that drunk man was forcing himself on the poor woman, how he stumbled across him, how the man fell down and injured himself after Ren tried to shove him away, and how the woman lied to the police in her testimony. Reliving those awful memories and moments made Ren feel a lump growing in his throat that begged him to stop talking and feel that pain all over again, but he pushed that feeling to the back of his mind as he kept talking. He remembered it all--all the despair and misery that accompanied that woman's betrayal. Throughout the whole conversation, Maruki never spoke a word... he never judged nor commented on anything as he simply nodded every now and then. The man furrowed his eyebrows while pursing his lips tightly, holding his hands tightly as if he was trying desperately to repress his anger. Ren could see the sullen expression on Maruki's face as he could barely imagine what he must've gone through... and for a boy to be suffering from injustice in such a cruel way just because of the kindness of his heart.

Well... the world never was a kind place, to begin with.

"I see... mm, thank you. I think I've gotten a good grasp of the situation you're in, Amamiya-Kun. Well, full disclosure... the school gave me a brief rundown of the circumstances surrounding your transfer here." Maruki narrowed his eyes in anger and frustration.

"It's in the past. I'm doing okay now." Ren forced out a bitter smile.

"Did you have to force yourself to accept everything that happened...? No, that doesn't seem to be it..."

"..........."

"Now that you've told me more about yourself, I think I've realized something. It seems like you've largely been able to reconcile your internal world with your external one. I should note--that's really, truly impressive. Even most adults can't reliably manage that."

"What do you mean?" Ren seemed genuinely interested.

"How to put it--You know how everyone has an internal reality? Some conception of themselves they're thriving for? Like, wanting to be a model student, or wanting to be loved and relied on... that kind of thing. But that idealized reality and the one in actuality are often far apart. That gap is responsible for a lot of people's pain. Not everyone can ace their exams. And not everyone can be the heroes they wish they could be."

Ren could only stare at Maruki in awe as his lips parted ever so slightly.

"You've already been through so much. That kind of suffering is usually enough to twist people up into dark places. But you--you're standing up to it, and confronting a tough, painful reality. To me, that's incredibly admirable." Maruki smiled, "...Then again, maybe that's a little weird for you to hear from a guy you just met, huh?"

"Yeah, but it sounds right." Ren chuckled.

"Not even any deflecting self-deprecation! You really are strong, Amamiya-Kun!"

Ren simply smiled at the man sadly, tugging into his sleeve tightly. He wasn't strong at all... he was and still weak who wanted nothing more than running away from it all. He simply forced himself to look strong.

_"No, you're just giving me so much credit, Dr. Maruki..."_

"Well, let's see... sorry, this went on longer than I expected. Somehow, the conversation just took on a life of its own, I guess..."

"I don't mind. I actually feel a lot better after talking about this with someone. Thank you so much." Ren smiled more genuinely this time, feeling as a huge weight was lifted from his chest.

"........" Maruki paused before furrowing his eyebrows, "...Hey, I've actually got one last request. Do you mind?"

"A request...?"

"I'm actually doing certain research along with my duties as a counselor. It's not quite like counseling--more like a type of psychological treatment it's a project to learn more about people's metaphorical hearts. What they think, how they feel. If I get far enough with it, I think it'll be able to help a lot of people! So...?"

"So... what?"

"Oh, sorry! Uh, I guess my point is... I'd like to ask you to help with that research! All you'd have to do is listen to my theories, and then tell me if they spark any ideas or realization on your end. Please! Any time's good for me--I can work around your schedule. And, uh... I've got a lot of snacks, too! You can have them! They're yours!"

"Well, okay then."

"Really?! YES! You're a lifesaver! Let's see... I know! Maybe I could teach you some tips for mental training? I happen to know a lot on the subject. I'm sure I can cook up a special regimen for you."

"Thanks, I'd really appreciate it."

"If you're dedicated enough, I'm sure you could draw out your full potential!"

"Sure."

"Okay! I guess that's our second deal."

_"I feel like my bond with Maruki is growing deeper..."_

_**Councillor Arcana: Rank 2** _

"...Oh, right! Would it be okay if we traded contact information?" Maruki pulled his phone out, "I'll contact you when I've got time, or when I need some input from you."

"Of course." Ren took his phone out as well, exchanging his contact info with the man.

"...That should do it! Now! I'd better do my part to repay you. Let's talk about mental training and presence. Let's see, first off.."

For the rest of the session, Maruki ended up giving Ren various information and tips on how to improve his concentration since the next day would mark the end of the midterms. He gave him recommendations about the best sleeping and studying schedule from his experience, as well as foods that'd help him greatly to improve his memory like honey, chocolate, and nuts. He also noted that chewing gum ten minutes before the exam might help as well along with some light exercises first thing in the morning. Maruki also pointed out the importance of the last revision before any test as it helps to make the information stay within the long-term memory, making it harder to forget them. Ren nodded eagerly at those tips and bits of advice, looking more than willing to try them out the next day before the exam. The two of them had absolutely no idea how much time had passed until a sudden yawn from Ren caused Maruki to realize how the room was tinted with hues of yellow and orange as the sun was already setting. Talk about intense concentration too... he never realized it since he was too indulged in the conversation.

"Wow, look at the time! I got so into the conversation that I lost track of it." Maruki glanced at the clock on the wall.

"I'm so sorry for taking your time like this. Thank you for everything." Ren quickly stood up.

He had to get Morgana soon as well.

"Oh, and here. Never a bad time for a snack, right?" Maruki offered a piece of gum.

"Um... thanks." Ren sweatdropped as he took it.

"Thank you for your help today. I'll see you around at school."

"Sure, see you later."

"Take care, Amamiya-Kun."

*******

_**\------Evening: Leblanc's Attic------** _

Plopping his aching body onto the soft mattress of his bed, Ren could only feel piles upon piles of exhaustion running through his veins. He had no idea he stayed for _hours_ in Maruki's office, listening to his tips to raise concentration for the following day's exam. While it was a worthwhile experience, he was just wholly tired, barely able to keep his heavy eyelids open. Good thing he memorized some things at school for the next exam since he had no time to study anything more that day... perhaps he'd skim through some things on the train the next morning as a safety precaution. Setting that thought aside, it sure has been a while since the last time Ren felt so... _calm_ and at peace as if everything that was on his mind slipped away like a dream. He never felt so clear-minded like that in what felt like forever--talking with Maruki about that incident really made him feel _a lot_ better. Plus, the mental training he went through that day felt like his mind became stronger. That man was really amazing! No wonder why Ann felt so comfortable talking with him. However, a loud yawn coming from Ren caused him to put those thoughts aside as tiredness came back to him in full force.

"I'm beat..." Ren threw an arm over his face.

"You really spent a long time talking to Maruki. Look how late it is... well, if you think the sessions are worthwhile, you should try going again sometime. But we should definitely get some sleep for now. Tomorrow's your last day of exams, right?" Morgana reminded the boy.

The sound of his phone vibrating next to him caught Ren's attention as he quickly pulled it up, opening the group chat. It kinda became a habit to chat almost every night.

_Ryuji: So how'd it go? You went for counselin' and all, right?_

_Ren: It wasn't bad actually. Dr. Maruki is really a nice person._

_Ann: See? Didn't I tell you?_

_Ryuji: I still dunno about it though... I mean, talkin' about personal stuff in front of a complete stranger feels kinda weird to me._

_Ann: Yeah, I get what you mean. I was hesitant at talking with him at the beginning too, but I found myself warming up to him immediately!_

_Ann: You really should try and see him. You too Emiko._

_Emiko: Right now, exams are more important._

_Emiko: And speaking of that, I get you two didn't study for tomorrow, am I wrong?_

_Ren: I don't think they did._

_Ann: Err..._

_Ryuji: Wait, tomorrow's the last day, right?! Oh shit!_

_Emiko: Oh shit indeed._

_Ryuji: So I gotta pull an all-nighter tonight? Gimme a break!_

_Ryuji: Talk about a pain in the ass..._

_Ann: Even if I study now, will I still be able to memorize the info until tomorrow morning?_

_Ryuji: Eh, does it even matter?_

_Emiko: You two are just hopeless._

_Ren: They're failing for sure._

"I guess one of the good things about Miss show-off is that she can be the voice of reason between you... sometimes. She talks big, but let's see how she'll pull it off." Morgana smiled challengingly.

Ren could only laugh wholeheartedly at the cat's remark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie dokie, after a lot of losing motivation and delaying the writing of this chapter, it's finally finished and done with!
> 
> To be honest, one of the biggest reasons why I'm losing motivation is the lack of support for this story. I honestly feel like no one's reading it anymore, and I guess I can get why.
> 
> So far, it's been almost identical to Infinity with some minor additions. But now, this chapter is totally Royal-exclusive and COMPLETELY different from Infinity!
> 
> With that said, I hope people will actually read this... 😅
> 
> But hey, MARUKI'S FINALLY HERE!!! HE FINALLY MADE HIS DEBUT!!! I seriously love this man so much! ><
> 
> And Emiko and Yoshizawa's encounter tho... interesting!~
> 
> Also, what could be the reason behind Nagisa looking at Yoshizawa like that? No one shall know... yet~
> 
> What did you think of the chapter?
> 
> Let me know! 😊
> 
> Published on: Thu/Feb 12/2021
> 
> Rand Talih💞


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